


Icebergs

by procrastinator



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-23 15:06:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 85,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3772786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/procrastinator/pseuds/procrastinator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a very AU piece that, again, came to me in a dream. I've been watching too much period TV. In this, Thor and Loki have come back from fighting in WW1. Each has their own goals, lots of family drama, and hopes as well. Enter Jane and Darcy, and lots of mystery, intrigue, and adventure for Darcy and Loki. I've never written a 'historical thriller' before, so I hope this works. Also, it will take a little while to get smutty, but then it will get down right dirty, as is my way. Um, not beta-ed so please excuse the errors here and there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Loki looked down at his pocket watch and then back at the pendulum clock against the far wall of the parlor. His watch was running slow. Whether it was 15 seconds or closer to 20 seconds, he wasn’t sure. He watched, waiting for the larger hand of the massive oak clock to fall precisely on the number five; three minutes past the hour, four past. His father and his brother were late for the family tet-a-tet. Most likely they were in Odin’s study, plotting their strategy for once again trying to harangue Loki into joining with Thor in the family business.

Five past. He glanced as his pocket watch and noted the time. 18 seconds slow. That would not do. He pulled the winding gear loose and waited the requisite 42 seconds until he could align the watches at precisely six minutes past the hour. Six minutes late.

At least now that the chore of time was addressed, he could have a drink before dealing with his family. He made his way to the crystal bottles and tumblers on the cart against the far wall, underneath the wide windows looking out across the gardens. He poured himself a hefty dose of Scotch and took a deep inhale. Across the lawn he could see the snapdragons were starting to bloom. His mother had always tried to teach him the proper names of her plants; antirrhinum was the actual name, but of course any child would prefer snapdragons. He smiled at the memory of himself as a child running around his mother’s skirts as she worked in her garden, pretending to be the dragon that snapped up all her weeds. Next the lilac bushes would bloom and those were her favorite. They filled the small garden of their London townhome in the spring, so much that the scent was almost overwhelming. In the grander gardens of their country estate, the scent was lost in the breeze like a memory that had grown fuzzy around the edges. Try as he might, whenever he was at that house, he couldn’t quite catch the scent, the memory, that he wanted. London suited him much more.

He took a deep breath, remembering the smell of the garden, remembering the smell of her. It had been three years since she’d passed; five since he had seen her. He and Thor had been on the continent, Thor at the frontline in the trenches, Loki not really sure where he was when he received the letter. It had come late, taken almost ten months to reach him and for them to find him. Paris, he recalled, taking a large swig of the whiskey. He had been in Paris. There had been no whiskey to comfort him; only dregs of wine in the basement of an empty salon.

The door to the parlor opened behind him and he busied himself with refilling his glass. He turned and motioned at his family with the bottle. Thor shook his head no, Odin, leaning on his cane, tipped his finger yes. The two of them settled by the fire; it was spring, but still a bit chilly. Lord Odinson, or Odin for family and close friends, was growing older by the day. It seemed to Loki that since his mother had died, everyday of Odin’s life was three days in the life of the world. He just shrank and grew old before his son’s eyes. It was obvious that Odin felt it too. He took up less and less space, pushing Thor forward, pushing both of them to get married, make lives, and take over the business in full.

Loki watched as Thor shifted in his seat, smirking as his brother tried to work up the courage to say his mind.

“Loki,” he started, “father and I asked you to join us because today is quite an important day…”

“Yes,” Loki sighed, already bored with the required decorum of family, “Erik and Jane are to dine, I know.”

“And Erik is also bringing another guest,” Thor replied.

Loki paused for a moment. As far as he was concerned, the chief engineer of his father’s company, at whose work bench Loki had spent most of his adolescence, had no friends and no relations. He was a solitary, isolated man, more interested in his inventions and his experiments than in humans. And somehow, despite having the beautiful Jane as a ward, he got away with it. He was able to shun social engagements and responsibilities. Frigga had made sure that Jane was properly introduced to society, even though everyone with one eye in their head knew that Jane was intended for Thor. Thor would have it no other way.

“Who is this guest?” Loki asked, taking another sip of whiskey. It wasn’t as if it mattered a great deal.

“She is his niece,” Thor replied. “You have not frequented this house in some time, so you may not know our goings on. You have scarcely been here since we came home.” Loki shifted in his seat; it was true that since the war ended he has barely graced his father’s house with his presence, but he it turned his stomach to do so.

Thor sighed at Loki’s lack of response and continued. “Erik received word last month that his youngest brother, who apparently left for America many years ago, had died, along with his wife, in the influenza outbreak. There is a niece, just about Jane’s age, without a guardian. Father and Erik sent for her immediately. She has joined Erik and Jane at the house in Marylebone. Her name is Darcy.”

Odin doted on Erik, protected him, and provided for him. It made sense for Odin to take the eccentric genius under his wing, as Erik’s ideas were responsible for a great deal of Odin’s fortune. It was his inventions, his innovations in engineering, that had given their company competitive advantage time and again. The fact that he was unable to manage the day to days of his own life was of little consequence to him. If left on his own, he would be swindled, penniless, and starving to death. It had been Odin, Erik, and Jane’s father who had, as young men, dreamed of a new sort of England, the industrialization of daily life. Odin had the capital, Erik the ideas, and Jane’s father the political influence. But he and his wife had died young, leaving Erik the guardian of a small child. It seemed an odd choice not to leave Jane with Odin and Frigga, but little was ever said of it. Odin had purchased the home shortly after, mostly on Frigga’s insistence that the boarding houses of Camden, which suited Eric fine, were no place to raise a child.

“So, the pleasantries,” Loki said tiredly. He had had a late night, as most nights seemed to be. He had little patience for entertaining.

“It goes without saying,” Odin piped up, “that my sons will treat the young women of Erik’s household with the utmost respect and see that they are treated with such in society.”

“Yes father,” Loki nodded, peering back down into his glass. Frigga has insisted that he and Thor protect Jane, but Loki’s influence was rarely ever needed. Jane and Thor were hardly ever apart.

“But Loki,” Thor continued, again shifting uncomfortably, “that is not why father and I asked to come early. We need to discuss the transfer.”

Loki threw his head back of the edge of the settee. He had no interested in being the second to Thor’s running of father’s business interests. He had much bigger problems to deal with. In fact, he wanted nothing to do with the family legacy.

“It will stabilize us, in many ways, if it is seen that we are united,” Thor said, moving forward in his chair.

“Stabilize?” Loki sighed. “Meaning what?” Then he raised his head and shot his father a knowing smile. “You mean with creditors.”

Odin’s back went up, and visibly so. “I do not hold debt,” he said indignantly.

“Of course you do father,” Loki smirked, “it is impossible to be a businessman without debts, financial and otherwise.” Odin shifted in his seat and Loki clenched his jaw in response. It seemed as though the sons of Odin were doomed to carry his debts. As far as Loki was concerned, Thor could deal with the financial because Loki found himself unable to escape from the ‘otherwise.’ Thanks to Frigga’s family, Loki didn’t need to worry about money. As the second, lesser son, his cousins in Stockholm had made sure, at Frigga’s request, that Loki be provided for since legally Thor would inherit the entirety of Odin’s estate.

“I have been clear,” Loki continued. “I do not wish to be involved.”

“No,” Odin snapped, “but you will just spend the gains of your brother’s work on drink and whores in Camden.”

“I don’t spend it on whores,” Loki smiled. “The women there come most willingly. And sometimes I prefer Lambeth. And I don’t spend Thor’s money or yours. My small revenues from the family enterprise go to even more eclectic interests.”

“You’re disgusting,” Odin spit, “your mother would be ashamed.”

“That was her lot in life, was it not?” Loki hissed back, narrowing his eyes at his father.

Thor visibly deflated into his chair. This was the nature of things between his father and brother and he had no idea as to why. It had been particularly bad since he and Loki returned home, but they had never had ‘good’ relations. As the first son Thor received most of Odin’s affection and as the smarter, quieter of the two, Loki received Frigga’s special attentions. Thor had never felt any inequality in his own lot, but he felt his brother was different. Being the second son was not an enviable position, although Loki has better protected than most. It was just that he did nothing with his time; no business, no politics, no further education. He could have been a fellow at Cambridge before the war, but he turned away from that when he returned. Loki would have to make his own way if he would not come on board with Thor’s proposal that they jointly run their father’s interests. What that way might be Thor had no idea.

“I can see this issue will not be resolved before our guests arrive,” Odin said, pulling himself up from his chair with his cane. “And you Loki, must fix yourself to properly receive company. You are not dressed for dinner.”

“I am not staying,” Loki sighed.

Odin waited one breath before turning on his son. “Can you do nothing your family asks of you! One dinner to welcome the orphaned niece of my oldest friend? Do you care nothing for the connections of this family?”

“I am sorry to excuse myself from seeing Erik,” Loki groaned, “but I have commitments elsewhere.”

“Loki,” Thor pleaded, his voice more calm, “please. You have to eat dinner, so why not dine with us.” Thor, quite frankly, often missed his brother. Loki disappeared for weeks at a time, coming home only when summoned. Only their beloved old groundskeeper seemed to know how to find him. Thor would tell Nick that Loki was needed at home and somehow, mystically, Loki would appear the next day. Usually Loki looked the worse for it; Thor suspected he drank more than he ate and he had no idea where his brother slept at night. “I have asked the cook to make mother’s favorite lamb.” Thor smiled, knowing mother’s favorite lamb was also Loki’s.

Loki looked at his watch, happy to see it was keeping its new time. He could forestall his work until later in the evening and he had not had his mother’s roasted lamb recipe for many years.

“Fine,” he sighed, throwing back the rest of his drink. “I will dress for dinner.” He left the room without another word and made his way across the foyer to the grand staircase. He climbed the stairs to the family rooms, pushing back each memory of the years immediately before he and his brother left for the war. His mother haunting the halls, reduced to a mere wisp of herself, pale and lifeless, with no humor or smiles. She could barely stand to look at Odin, avoiding him at any turn. There was no life in the house, no company accept for Erik and Jane. She summoned all her energy to pave Jane’s way in society. It took her weeks to recover from any engagement. She was certainly ill, but it was not in her body that the sickness was concentrated. It was in her heart, which was full of sadness. She cried when Thor and Loki left. And then, he never saw her again.

In his old room, Loki found the appropriate dress. His brother’s valet appeared at the door, but Loki shooed him away. He was perfectly capable of dressing himself. He took his time, not wishing to linger in the company of his family more than was necessary. He stood at the window until the sky grew dark, the new electric lights came on in the streets, and a carriage stopped at their door. Three figures climbed out, one he knew was Erik’s. He put on his jacket and with one last deep breath to bolster himself against the unpleasantries of the coming evening, he exited his room and made his way down.

At the bottom of the stairs he stopped short. Erik was there, head bent in greeting to Odin. Jane and Thor were smiling and greeting each other in the way that they did. Between them, her eyes casting around with curiosity, was the single most beautiful creature Loki had ever seen.


	2. Chapter 2

Loki chose to wait in the shadows for a moment. He had learned long along that when entering a situation with an unknown element, it was better to observe as much as possible first. The unknown element here was, of course, the addition of Erik’s niece. She was utterly divine. Whereas Jane was fine like porcelain, this creature was practically blooming like the gardens he loved so much. Even beneath her dress, he could see she was soft and full of curves. Her dark hair flowed elegantly. She chose neither to cut it short or wear it up, but she had tucked it back from her face enough that he could see her her wide inquisitive eyes and soft, crimson, utterly kissable lips. She had pale skin, a long neck,and  curves in places that made his pulse surge. He saw hips that were begging to be held, a body that was begging for attention. He also saw a little bit of mischief in her smile. There was far more to her than just a beautiful face and a body he was already picturing covering with his own. There was a bright light inside her and it was waiting to burst into a flame.

Thor was speaking to her and while she was nodding and smiling, he did not have her attention. He was gesturing about at the foyer, not noticing that her eyes were barely following him. He was, as usual, more concerned with Jane’s attentions, which were, as usual, utterly glued to him. The young woman’s gaze, however, was drifting through the front hall. She managed to look both utterly bored and brimming with anticipation at the same time. Clearly she was ready for something, but Thor and Jane were not quite it. Loki smirked to himself and shoved his hands in his pockets. Their guest was now turning her eyes from the expansive and ornate entryway to the house and resigned herself to Thor’s elaboration of the entryway carpets, which father had brought back from a trip to North Africa in the late 1890s.

“They are lovely,” the young woman smiled, “and slightly more colorful than anything I’ve seen so far in London.”

“Yes,” Thor smiled, “I suppose London is a bit gray.”

“Well, I haven’t seen much but the weather and the inside of Erik’s house, so almost anything is bound to catch my interest,” she smiled politely. Loki smirked again and leaned forward enough to step into the light. She was a bit sassy and he might grow to appreciate that aspect of her personality, as long as the sassiness wasn’t directed at him. It was really too bad that would be impossible in the long run.

“Ah,” Thor smiled, swinging his arm wide, “Loki. May I introduce the very lovely Miss Darcy Lewis. Miss Darcy, this is my younger brother, Loki.”

Loki smiled, but not widely. Even with the addition of the beautiful Miss Lewis to the agenda of the evening, he would still rather be elsewhere. Despite her beauty, he wasn’t quite ready to be his most charming self. Saddled to a bar in Camden, he could charm any woman out of her knickers, but here in the stately hall of his father’s mansion and amongst polite company, he found it difficult to rise to the occasion. Besides, if he formed an attachment of any kind, that would condemn him to keeping company with his family more often.

“Miss Lewis,” he said, bowing slightly in greeting. When he looked up, she had an almost bemused look on her face as if she couldn’t quite believe what he was doing. But then, as their eyes met, her gaze turned instantly. Suddenly, they were full of sparks. She smirked and licked her lips, not worrying for one second whether or not he could gauge her reaction to his presence. He felt his throat dry unexpectedly. She was playing the game already.

“Oh please,” she said, her voice full of something Loki could only identify as a bit of boldness, “call me Darcy. I’m an American, none of this miss so and so business for me. I can’t tolerate such unwarranted formality.”

Loki saw Thor stiffen slightly out the corner of his eye and Jane’s cheeks pinkened slightly. Yes, Darcy Lewis was not quite the part of a proper young lady. He instantly felt more comfortable in her presence. He felt the corners of his mouth turning up involuntarily as Dary held his gaze and smirked back at him. His mind raced for a witty reply, but he suddenly felt self conscious with his brother and Jane watching this interaction.

He was saved by the appearance of his father at his side. “Miss Lewis,” Odin said, offering her his elbow, “I believe they are ready for us in the dining room. Shall we go in?”

Darcy very gracefully and humbly accepted Odin’s arm, throwing only a small glance over her shoulder at the rest of the party, her eyes drifting across Loki’s form. He could feel her gaze run up and down his whole length. Thor and Jane came next, Jane’s hand wrapped around Thor’s arm. Darcy noticed that she was maybe gripping that bicep a little higher than necessary and they both looked a bit like they were stifling grins. Behind them Loki and Erik trailed, their heads bowed together.

“It is good to see you Loki,” Erik smiled. Loki thought he detected a bit of shortness in his breath. He found his hand immediately going to the shoulder of his old teacher. It was from Erik that Loki has learned maths, sciences, precision, detail, everything he now used on a daily basis. He felt an odd twist in his gut to realize that perhaps Erik was unwell.

“And you as well Erik,” he said softly. They paused at the door as they watched Odin and Thor fawn over their female guests. “Are you well?”

Erik smiled at him with the same far away look he always had. “As well as can be,” he said. “I am very happy to have Darcy here. She brings quite a bit of life with her, despite all the death she has left behind.”

“Yes,” Loki, nodded, “her mother and father in the Spanish flu, no? I am sorry to hear it.”

“And her brother,” Erik sighed, “although not taken by the flu. I do not know much about his death. He was found in the street and the police report says it was a robbery. I have not pressed Darcy and she has not volunteered. I am trying to get to know her and respect her grief at the same time.”

Loki narrowed his eyes at Darcy, who was now looking around the dining room with the same inscrutable face; she seemed both impressed and put off by the place. She generously thanked the footman who poured her wine and then she took a deep breath and a sizable drink. She wasn’t just beautiful, Loki thought, she was mysterious as well. What a dangerous combination.

“Come,” Loki said, turning towards the table, “mother’s lamb is for dinner.”

“Ah,” Erik said, his eyes lighting up, “this was her grandmother’s recipe. I ate it often as a child. Our good luck!”

Loki smiled. He couldn’t give his brother credit for much, but Thor could be considerate when needed. He had likely requested this meal not just for Loki’s benefit, but Erik’s as well.

Odin took the entirely of the first course to familiarize Darcy with the lost connections between their families. Frigga and Erik had grown up together as children, each the child of an English parent and a Swedish parent, who themselves traveled in the same circles. Erik and Odin had meant at university and it was through Erik’s connections that Odin had met Frigga. Frigga was the oldest daughter of a women who came from an old English family. Her first husband, Frigga’s Swedish father, had died young, leaving his entire fortune to Frigga, which was kept in trust until her marriage.

Frigga had grown up spending the summers in Sweden and the school year in England. Each summer she delighted in the comfort of her family there and through them forged her connection to Erik. It was Odin and Erik university friendship, along with that of Jane’s father Marcus, that had lead to the three men going into business together.

Together they had created new innovations in shipping lost distance commodities, particularly perishable goods. They were simply at the right place in history when Jane’s father was able to secure them multiple contracts during the Boer War to keep shipping lanes open and get supplies to troops. Thok, Loki, and Jane had all been small children during those days. It was only near the conclusion of the war that Jane’s parents had both died and she’d gone to live with Erik. Odin had been made a Baronet and the rest, as he motioned his wine glass around his ornate dining room and smiled at Darcy, was history.

“Yes,” she agreed, looking up from the main course just set in front of her, “that is how things go with family, is it not? Eventually everything is just history.”

Odin smiled at her from across the table. He wasn’t sure how to take her comment, but he chose to believe that it was hard for her to hear this tale now that she was so recently with no family and, perhaps, no history as well.

“You are most welcome here, my dear,” he said, picking up his fork and signalling to the guests that it was finally time to enjoy a respite from his stories.

“Thank you sir,” she smiled, before looking away into her wine glass. Loki smirked. He may have been the only person to catch the subtle eye roll she through at Jane and the even more subtle one that Jane threw back.

Dinner proceeded on with polite conversation, Thor was good at keeping that rolling. He tried to impress Darcy with stories of their childhood; all the stories involved Loki being the mischievous one, Jane the smart one, and Thor the brave one.

“Yes,” Odin chuckled as Thor finished the story of the rescuing his mother’s cat from a tree in Frigga’s garden, “my older son was perhaps born to be a hero. It served him well during the war.”

Darcy’s gaze turned a bit colder and she watched the faces around the table all darken slightly. It was unusual to bring up the war in polite company, especially in front of women. Darcy didn’t fall for tales of gallantry; she knew how dark and horrid it had been. She had already heard enough about the war. But still, she knew she was now compelled to ask.

“Of course, you served,” she said quietly, looking around the table. “Jane had mentioned…”

“That Thor was a captain in the trenches?” Odin asked, clearly proud of his older son. “No way to know how many lives he saved.”

“Father…” Thor began. Darcy watched Loki out of the corner of her eye. He was slumping in his chair slightly; the glass of wine was disappearing a bit quicker.

“Don’t be modest Thor,” Odin said, more sharply than necessary. “You served well and your family is proud of you.”

“Father, Loki also…”  
  
“Yes,” Odin said, clearly less enthused by his younger son’s efforts, “logistics is important as well.”

“Yes,” Loki said, piping up for one of the few times during the whole meal, “logistics is responsible for all of this, is it not?” He waved his hand around the house and shot his father a grim stare.

“Yes, it is and it is very important. But what your brother did in those horrible trenches..,” Odin continued. "Soldiers win wars."

Thor reached over and squeezed his father’s forearm, perhaps in a signal that it was time to stop. Jane cleared her throat and put down her glass. She had sat through enough of these moments to know when it was time to change the conversation. “Darcy and I were thinking of going to the park tomorrow…”

“Did your brother serve in the war, Miss Lewis?” Odin interrupted.

“Yes, sir,” Darcy replied. Loki noticed her drop her gaze and fiddle with her cutlery.

“And did he fight in France like those other American boys?” Odin continued. “Perhaps he and Thor crossed paths at the Somme, the second time around that is.”

“No, sir,” Darcy said, lifting her head to face Odin’s tactless gaze. “He fought in Italy.”

“Italy? I didn’t realize there were American troops in Italy?”

“Yes, just one regiment,” Darcy continued. “My brother and I were raised speaking Italian, as were many of the children I knew in Chicago, so I think the recruiters came through our neighborhood on purpose.”

“You were raised speaking Italian?” Thor asked, leaning forward in interest. Loki felt his interest peak and he pushed his mind back into the conversation. Yet another piece of the Darcy puzzle.

“Yes, my mother was Italian,” Darcy smiled. “My father left England with a young wife, but she died in childbirth very soon after they arrived in Boston. The baby died as well. My father, I suppose in his grief, took off for Chicago, where he met my mother and...the rest is history.”

So that’s it, Loki thought. The dark hair, the full lips, the hourglass figure. She was no delicate English rose. She probably didn’t grown up with money either, hence the interest and disdain for Odin’s ostentatious wealth.

“Well then,” Thor smiled, “I have a better idea than a trip to the park tomorrow my dear Jane. In fact, Nick was saying earlier he believe it will rain.”

“And what is that?” Jane smiled, her eyes light and fixed on Thor. Darcy smiled as well, secretly hoping that whatever the plan was, it might include a bit of Loki. She had already seen Thor at Erik’s house several times. He was nice to look at, and she was sure he was very brave and strong, but she just didn’t find him that...interesting.

“I think we should go on a little adventure to show Darcy a bit of the colour of the town. We can go over to the Italian neighborhood. It is not far from Gray’s Inn, so we can have a nice walk, there are some lovely cafes, and there is even a cinema if it rains.”

“Thor!” Jane grinned, “that sounds like a lovely idea. Darcy, what do you think?”

“Thor,” she said quite seriously, leaning over the table slightly, “is this a southern or northern italian neighbourhood?” She didn’t expect him to know, but a bit of teasing was only fun.

Thor’s face immediately clouded over with confusion and then panic. “I don’t know Miss Lewis,” he said, clearly a bit flustered. “I suppose it is very important, no? Would you not feel safe? I know the neighbourhoods are lower class, but I understand the people are very industrious and…”

“No,” Darcy smiled, leaning back. “It only matters in terms of what types of sweets we might be able to find. I would give my pinkey finger for a decent tiramisu at this point.”

“Oh,” Thor grinned, visibly relieved, “I am sure we can find you something that will delight.”

“It is southern,” Loki piped up from the end of the table. “I believe there are plenty of Romans and Neopolitans in that area. The Milanese are in Soho.”

Darcy smiled into her wine glass. She didn’t really need to know who lived where, no one knew her or what her connections in Chicago were, but now she knew something about Loki. He liked to be right and show he knew more than Thor. And...he knew more than Thor.

“See, we will be a well informed party,” Thor exclaimed, holding his hand out towards his brother. “Loki knows that area of town quite well.”

“Too well,” Odin muttered. Darcy didn’t miss the dark look that flew across the table between Loki and his father.

Thor cleared his throat. “Yes, he is more familiar than I. Loki, you will join us, no?”

Loki sat up in his chair, immediately shaking his head. “I have engagements tomorrow I must keep. I will be unable to accompany you.”

“Loki,” Thor said, his voice turning softer and more plaintive, “surely you can spare one afternoon to show our new friend around town.”

The two of them traded serious looks across the length of  the table and Loki grumbled something about considering it as coffee and pudding appeared with the footmen.

After dinner, Jane and Darcy retired to a room upstairs to freshen up, while the men crowded into the parlor to freshen up and smoke cigars. Once they had their fill, the ladies would be invited in for more drinks and cards. Darcy followed Jane up the stairs, wondering why all these rules were in place. “So Jane,” Darcy called as they turned the corner to the next flight of stairs, “what would you do if I wasn’t here. Would they just send you off to sit by yourself somewhere while they talk about ‘male’ concerns?”

“No,” Jane smiled. “Well,” she considered, stopping in her tracks, “I actually don’t know. We haven’t been here very much since Frigga passed. Maybe only a few times. Odin hasn’t been in the mood. But I’ve never been left alone. Thor would always keep me company.”

“I would say so,” Darcy smile, relaxing on a settee in a beautiful room. There was tea and port and Darcy rolled her eyes at the diminutive offerings. What would it take for a girl to get a glass of whiskey?

“What do you mean?” Jane blushed, pouring a round of tea.

“You can’t be serious Jane,” Darcy admonished, reaching forward for her cup. “Thor’s completely besotted with you. It is plain as day.”

Jane blushed furiously and then smiled to herself. She and Darcy had only been acquainted for a month, even though she had immediately felt a kinship with her that she had never had with anyone. Erik loved her, but his house had been a lonely place to grow up. She hadn’t had a female companion since Frigga passed. Perhaps Darcy and her could be great friends and confidants.

“In truth Darcy,” Jane whispered, “Thor and I are..in a way...promised.”

“Are you engaged?” Darcy smiled, leaning forward, “Secretly?”

“Not exactly. He has declared that it is his wish to marry me and I told him I return the favor. But he hasn’t asked. He says he needs to address some issues within the family before he can be free to marry.”

“Issues?” Darcy wondered, leaning back into the plush cushion. “He means Loki.”

Jane’s eyes flew open in surprise. How could Darcy possibly know the burdens Thor felt regarding his younger brother? Thor had only disclosed them to her in confidence and only when they had occasion to be alone. “How could you know that?” Jane asked, her voice more surprised than accusatory.

“It is clear,” Darcy sighed, putting down her tea cup. “He is outside the center of this family. His father does not respect him the way he does Thor. He barely spoke throughout dinner and he didn’t make eye contact with Odin once. Also, Erik mentioned that if Loki was present tonight, I was to tread lightly. Thor feels responsible, doesn’t he?”

“Yes,” Jane sighed. “Things have been very bad between Loki and Odin since they returned from the war. Loki no longer even lives here. And it doesn’t help when Odin makes comments like he did this evening…”

“The Thor-is-the hero parade.”

“Exactly,” Jane nodded, sighing her fatigue of the drama. “Loki is...different from Thor, but no less than. He is smart and careful, like Erik, and is very discerning of people. He can see through others facades quite easily. Perhaps he had developed this from being the one waiting in the shadows of his brother for so long. I’m afraid this is a more escalated version of something that has gone on our entire lives. It is worse without Frigga.”

“She kept the peace?” Darcy asked, her mind quickly soaking up every detail of Loki she could.

“Yes, but also she fought with Odin. When he was especially cruel or critical of Loki, she would defend him. They had some very monstrous arguments as I recall. But as she grew ill, the fight just let her and things worsened between Loki and Odin and after she died they completely fell apart.”

“That’s terrible.”

“It was so sad,” Jane said, closing her eyes a the terrible memories. “Neither of them were home and I had to write to them and say she had passed. Thor was on the front, in the trenches, so it took several months for the letter to arrive. Loki was, well we thought he was in a central command, but the letters must have been lost or I don’t know. We kept receiving letters he was writing to her, for more than nine months after she past, and it was clear he did not know she was gone. Finally Odin had to use his influence to lean on the war office to get the message through. Eventually the letters stopped coming, and when he came home, he was different.”

“Different how?”

“Taciturn, sharp, brooding. He’d always been quieter, more pensive, but it was clear he was full of anger and it had no way to come out. One night, he came home, collected his necessaries, and left. He has not slept under this roof since. Thor worries about him daily. Sometimes, when we share a meal, I can see in his face that he is wondering where Loki is and what he might be eating. If he is eating. He has lost some weight. You can see it in his face.”

Yes, Darcy thought to herself, that face. That face was something else. Black hair, just long enough to be combed back and tucked behind his ears. Eyes that were so clearly green and so full of storms that knew immediately this was the complicated, interesting brother. He had worked very hard all evening to keep any show of emotion from his face. But Darcy knew what shadows looked like when someone was burdened. She knew what it did to the wells of their eyes. She knew there was much more to discover about Loki and if she was going to have any fun in London, Loki would likely be the source of it.

“That is awful,” Darcy smiled, reaching out to squeeze Jane’s hand. “You carry more than you should for this family.” Jane squeezed back, happy to have a friend. “Although,” Darcy smiled, “perhaps this is just practice since you are likely to be a member very soon. Let’s talk about that happy tale.

Jane’s face immediately lit up and Darcy leaned into the cushion to hear the story of how Jane and Thor fell in love. Right around the time that Thor came back from the way, after a lifetime of puppy love and passionately chaste letter writing, the butler of the house interrupted to invite the ladies downstairs for tea. As they found their way to the bottom of the staircase, the door to the parlor opened and Loki stormed out, clearly headed for the front door. There was already a staff member waiting with his coat and hat. Odin could be heard carry on about something behind the door.

“Loki,” Thor called, “please do join us tomorrow.”

“Brother,” Loki growled, barely containing his anger, “I told you that I shan’t be able…”

“I do hope you can come,” Darcy said, announcing her and Jane’s presence in the hall. “I would be very glad if you could.”

Loki felt his resolve immediately weaken and knew he was in trouble when it came to Darcy Lewis. He shrugged into his coat and Darcy saw her chance on his face. “I would be very happy to be accompanied on this adventure by one who knows so much of the city,” she smiled. Maybe appealing to his vanity would help.

“Loki,” Thor reasoned, “please consider. We will have the driver leave us at the Chancery Lane tube stop at 2pm. We hope to see you there.”

“Yes,” Darcy chimed in, smiling and adding a bit of eye lash batting, “we do hope to see you.”

“Very well,” he sighed. “I will try. Good night to you brother, Jane, Darcy,” he nodded. He turned to leave and wondered if he could get away with returning to kiss Darcy’s hand. It would feel very nice to touch her and learn how she smelled. That would be helpful for later when he found himself alone and unable to sleep. But it would not go well with his hurried departure full of of righteous indignation and above all, Loki had to keep his family at arm’s length.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fleshing out of Loki’s world, no pun intended. The pun-ing comes later, along with the fleshing. Trust me. I just wrote two super dirty scenes for this story.

Loki briskly walked the few blocks to Regent Street, hoping to secure a carriage and be on his way. He couldn’t breath properly when he was in Mayfair. The wealthy were suffocating. He didn’t take him long to hail a driver, especially given that he was still wearing his evening dress. Fuck, he thought to himself, he’d left his clothes at his father’s house. Perhaps he could arrange for them to be picked up. The thought of going back there so soon made his stomach churn and he had no interest in vomiting his mother’s precious lamb up in disgust. Besides meeting Darcy Lewis and imbibing some very nice wine, the lamb was the highlight of the evening.

As the carriage swayed its way north towards the park, Loki took the time to rest his eyes and focus his attentions on the rest of the evening. He had three pieces of business in Camden Town before he could retire. Well, two and then he would head to his bed for the night. Typically after an evening spent with his father and brother, Loki’s chief concerns were getting drunk and finding a willing woman to share his bed. But tonight he wasn’t interested in either. He wanted to go to bed with a clear head and wake up with one as well. The possibility of an afternoon with Darcy was on the table for consideration and he had to make the right choice.

Once he had plotted the steps between his current moment and the one where he collapsed into bed, he let his mind drift to the conclusion of the evening. As soon as the ladies had retired, Thor and Odin had picked up right where they left off in their attempts to cajole his entry into the business world. Loki suspected they had hoped Erik would pile on as well, but Erik never once pushed Loki into anything. He never pushed him away from anything either. Erik was concerned about three things: his experiments, his designs, Jane. In that order. Perhaps Darcy was now on that list as well.

He could hear Odin’s attempts to reason, to threaten, and then, when none of it worked, he resorted to humiliation. Of course, Odin scowled, Loki wouldn’t join his brother in business. He was too worried of looking the fool next to his powerful, handsome, brave, strong older brother. He was too worried of once again coming up short. That was why he never came around the house, Odin had bellowed, because he couldn’t bare the shame of living with a real war hero when Loki had rode out the war in an administrative office.

Loki took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He should be, by this point, accustomed to the stupidity of his family. He shouldn’t allow it to bother him. Really, logistics? How simple could they be. There were not that many puzzle pieces to put together. Loki and Thor joined the service immediately at the outset of the war. They were assessed and separated. Thor went to the lines and Loki went to logistics. That was as far as they knew. If he was in logistics, why did he not come home, even on leave, for all those years? Why was he so hard to find? Why did it take 10 months to deliver news of Frigga’s death? Why did none of Odin’s associates in leadership know who Lokis was? Why did he have no chums from his office as Thor had his friends from his regiment? Why was it as if Loki was gone but never in the war? They could never ask the questions, never recognize what was right in front of their faces. Logistics, he snorted, please. He rubbed his brow and wished for the hundredth time he had a slightly more dignified story to tell, or at least one that didn’t make him look like a glorified paper pusher.

He looked out at the lights across the park and realized there was nothing to be done about it now. The world was changing, London was changing. If he could just hold on a bit longer, he could very well separate himself from all of the history he hated so much and slip away into a new life with no one the wiser. If only, he thought to himself. He would miss nothing. Except, he smirked, the missed potential of a curvy brunette Italian girl from Chicago. She was certainly unique and someone like Darcy Lewis did not come along every day.

Sometime later, the carriage pulled to a stop outside a line of warehouses along the lock. This part of town was wildly different than the one he come from and he fastened his coat and raised the collar. It would not help him to expose himself as a man of means, although he was aware than many in this neighbourhood knew who he was. He was the disaffected son of a baron, disowned and down on his luck. He got by on his wits and his connections. He spent his time drinking, whoring, and gambling. His kind had been coming to Camden for those three delights for a few hundred years. He was nothing too special, except to those closest to him.

He paused outside the largest warehouse to light a cigarette. He took a deep breath and exhaled into the cooling night time air. Frigga didn’t like them to smoke, so Loki still couldn’t bring himself to smoke in her house. Maybe if he’d had a cigarette he wouldn’t have lost his cool and stormed out, forgetting his clothes and missing the chance to get to know Darcy better. Although, there would be no purpose in that. He felt a twist in his gut that she would have to be yet another person he turned away from. He couldn’t help but feel that in refusing her, he was missing something important.

He nodded to the three men standing guard outside the warehouse. They grinned and welcomed him to their circle, smacking him on the back and passing him the flask. There was a big race tomorrow and they wanted to know who they should bet on. Loki only smiled. He never bet on horses; they were unpredictable at best.

“Is he here?” Loki asked the largest man in the group, nodding towards the offices of the warehouse.

“Naw,” he swallowed, passing the flask to the next man, “he’s gone down to the pub. Said he had to see over his investments, but I think that ginger girl is singing tonight.”

“The Irish girl?” another man piped up. “Doesn’t he know there’s no point in a Jew romancing a Catholic girl, especially an Irish one? She’ll cut out her own tongue before she defies the pope.”

“I don’t think he wants to romance her,” the larger man smiled, leaning forward. “And I’m pretty sure she’s not that concerned about the pope if she’s singing in pubs and letting Herschel buy her sweet cakes.”

“She might be letting Herschel have her sweet cakes, for all we know” laughed the third man. “If she was offering, I’d have a bite!”

Loki smiled. Life was so much simpler when you could spend your night standing on the street, drinking cheap whiskey, and talking about girls you wanted to fuck. Of course he knew that wasn’t really true. The likelihood that one of these men would be dead within a week was very high. It was dangerous being poor; he’d learned that all too well in the years he’d spent in this community. Loki nodded to the men and stamped out his cigarette butt. He said his goodbyes and set off towards the pub.

The Prestar and the Horh made Loki smile everytime he turned the corner and saw the old wooden sign perched above the door. There was something about the blatant anti-establishment ethos of the name that spoke to him. Old words for priests and whores, united in sin, as everybody knew they really were. There was no real reason to cover it up or pretend it was something else. This neighbourhood was, in many ways, the battleground of priests and whores, those who sought out sin and then sought to cover it up. The locals, in their own time and space, saw no point in lying about it. Loki appreciated the honesty.

Leaning against the far side of the bar, nursing a whiskey, was one of Loki’s only real friends, who was definitely not a priest, but who knew about nearly every sin you could commit within the boundaries of Camden. Herschel was a big man, in size and name. He was in charge, and everyone on the streets knew it. He smiled as he saw Loki approaching, and then almost as quickly his smile turned into confused amusement.

“What the fuck are you wearing?” he asked, dropping his glass to the bar and giving Loki the full once over.

“God damn it,” Loki muttered, pulling out a cigarette, “can we not talk about it?”

“Come on now,” Herschel grinned, “you can’t come to the pub in your fucking dinner tails and waist coats. You look like a bloody tosser and these men are likely to mug you on your way out.”

Loki let out a deep exhale of smoke and rubbed his forehead. He knew that no one would mug him. He was also known in the neighbourhood and more than anything he was known for his association with Herschel. That bought him a lot of safety. “I was at my father’s for dinner,” he mumbled, flicking ash on the floor beneath him.”

“Come one,” Herschel said, slapping him on the shoulder, “I’ve got extra shirts in the back.”

Loki followed him through the door behind the bar, noticing out of his corner that the pretty ginger girl singing in the corner faltered in her song when Herschel turned his back on her. Sweet cakes it is, he thought to himself.

Once then were ensconced in Herschel’s large, but dark office, Loki started shedding layers of clothes and formality. He had no interest in keeping the formal dress, so he lay it in a heap in the corner. He stretched out his back as Herschel dug through a cabinet at the back of the room, muttering to himself about how someone needed to restock his supply for clean clothes. He turned around and thrust a shirt and vest at Loki. “Here,” he said, “these don’t have blood stains on them.”

“How considerate, thank you,” Loki smiled. He got dressed as quickly as he could, but he still caught Herschel flinch at the site of the scars across his abdomen and back.

“Fucking hell,” Herschel whistled, shaking his head, “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the sight of what those bloody Huns did to you. Even though I’ve seen it from when it was fresh and raw and Ida was stitching you up.”

“Too true,” Loki said in a low voice, turning to the mirror to button up the vest. “I can’t get used to it and its my body. I suppose it will never change.”

“No,” Herschel said, shaking his head and picking bits of tobacco off his tongue, “it won’t. A beating like that stays with a man.”

Loki collapsed in a chair, suddenly exhausted, and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. After a few minutes of silence. “Its not just the beating,” he said quietly.

Herschel nodded, leaning forward to pull open his desk. He withdrew a bottle of very expensive whiskey and two tumblers. This was he and Loki’s private stash, which only they drank and only in the privacy of his office.

“You been having dreams again?” Herschel said, his voice turning serious with concern for his friend. He held the half full glass out towards Loki.

“Not exactly,” Loki replied. He leaned forward and took the glass. It went down in one long gulp. Herschel dutifully refilled it. “I just hear his voice sometimes in the back of my mind. Whenever we had to do something neither of us wanted to do, he would just hit me on the back and growl it out. ‘Be quick about it’ he would say.”

Herschel nodded and smiled. “Same as when we were kids,” he replied. “This one time, we had a ball and we were kicking it around in the street near the canal. It went in the water and Danny and I went down to the edge to fetch it out. That was when we saw the girl, drowned, eyes open. The ball was floating right next to her. That was all he said. ‘Be quick about it.’”

Loki smiled slightly. “He made you go in and get it?”

“Yeah,” Herschel nodded, offering him a cigarette. “And then he left me shivering on the side of the street as he ran to tell someone there was a dead girl in the water. Some of the fisherman came and the next thing I knew, Danny’s got his hand around my shoulder and leading me away. Then I start to feel it coming up, you know, from deep down, and he yanks me into an alley and pushes me over so I don’t puke on my shoes. I can still feel his hand on my back. ‘It’s ok,’ he smiled, ‘just be quick about it.’”

Loki smiled too, downing another glass of whiskey. That was how he and Herschel had met, through Danny. Danny and Loki had been together through the entirety of the war. They had done things and seen things that would leave men in shambles, but somehow Danny had helped Loki figure out how not to fall apart. And when it came to the last, both of them beaten half to death and held captive at an encampment outside of Stuttgart, those were the last words he heard Danny say as the soldiers took him away to hang him from a tree. Just be quick about it.

Loki shivered slightly and he knew Herschel saw him. Herschel hadn’t gone to fight. He saw no point in fighting for the English crown, which to his mind only barely tolerated his kind. His kind he saw as poor, Jewish, cast out of Europe. No, he had said to Danny, I have no dog in that fight. Instead, Herschel has stayed behind and grown a syndicate through the neighborhood. He ran horses, dogs, booze, women, cards, and sold anything stolen and of value that he could get his hands on.

“Well,” said Herschel, leaning forward and slapping Loki’s knee, “I say we should enjoy the evening. You’ve had a rough go of it at the family stead, been forced to eat caviar and champs all night, and I wouldn’t want you to suffer more than necessary.”

Loki smiled at that. Herschel teased him about his own upbringing and his wealth, but he knew that no one else understood him quite like Herschel. There are things a man will do to survive that only other men who have done the same can know. It wasn’t even something Loki had ever talked about with Thor, because Thor fought a clean, just war in the trenches. Loki fought the dirty war in the shadows.

“You don’t want to talk about the situation with the Italians?” Loki asked, stubbing out his cigarette in the tray on the corner of the desk. He took one more glass of whiskey offered by Herschel, who then leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face.

“Not tonight, I think my friend,” he said, stretching his back out. “There’s plenty of time to pick your brains over the plan. Tonight, I want to focus on getting in that girls pants.”

“I don’t think you’ll have a hard time with that one,” Loki grinned, cocking his head towards the door. “She watched you go, and she cared you were leaving.”

“How the fuck do you know this shit?” Herschel exclaimed, a new cigarette dangling from his mouth. “I swear to god, you and Danny were cut from the same bloody cloth. Watching, observing, taking your fucking notes on people. No wonder they trained you up to do their god damn dirty work.”

Loki smiled and finished his third glass of whiskey. He didn’t want to talk about the war anymore that night. Herschel and Ida were the only places he was safe to talk about it, but he also wanted to try and put it behind him, as impossible as that seemed to be on a daily basis. “Because” he said, standing up and stretching his long body, letting the stretch try and wake him up for a bit of fun, “she threw a note when you left. She was concentrating on you and not the song.”

“Fuck,” Herschel exhaled, blowing a cloud of smoke over his desk, “that’s good fucking news. Come on, let’s find you a girl too. Bernie was asking about you the other day.”

“Bernie the barmaid?” Loki grinned. She was pretty, fair with light eyes and a small handful of tits. The second he thought about her as a possible bedmate, his mind flew back to Darcy. Different from Bernie in every conceivable way and he knew that all he really wanted that night was to spend his time wondering what it would be like if Darcy could be part of this world, with him. “No,” he said, shaking his head, “she’s a bit too fragile for my taste tonight. I’m best left to my own devices.”

“And your own fucking hand!” Herschel roared, slapping Loki on the back. “If you feel the need to punish, tis best to punish yourself.” He opened the door and pushed Loki back out into the bar, both of them smiling, a bit flushed, and a bit tipsy. The whiskey was now coarsing through their veins and as Herschel flew across the room to congratulate the ginger girl on her beautiful voice, Loki slid to the bar to order a pint for Herschel and a soda water for himself, knowing he would switch to beer on the next round. He knew the rest of the evening would be a good way to forget, but he still needed to leave sober.

When he heard the clock strike one, Loki decided it was time to leave Herschel to the last dregs of the night. The little Irish lass had had enough of her own voice and had settled herself in Herschel’s lap. It was clear what they would be up to in no time. He waved goodbye to all, stumbling a little bit over the threshold of the pub, before righting himself and lighting a cigarette in the street. He smoked his cigarette slowly, enjoying the quiet of the night. There were only the groans of a few drunks, a few girls laughing here and there, a few horses neighing softly. It was almost possible to feel free.

He stamped out his cigarette and immediately lit another. He trudged down the road, taking the familiar path to the door that was always open. He could see men ahead of him in the lane, and he knew they were all going to the same place. It was the best place in this part of town to bed down for the night with a soft, willing woman. She would do whatever you asked of her, everything or nothing, and she’d do it gladly. She just wouldn’t do it for free, but that didn’t bother Loki in the least. Who was he to judge? He might of, as a younger man, full of ideas of decorum and propriety. That’s how he was raised. But now, after everything he seen and done, he was no longer in the position to judge anyone.

He waited a decent amount of time after the last man had gone in. It wasn’t really the kind of place you wanted to run into acquaintances. He leaned against the cold stone wall, had himself another cigarette, and let his mind drift to Darcy. While he would never want to see her in a place like this, he certainly wouldn’t mind ending his evening in her bed. He imagined she was all softness; soft breasts, soft thighs, soft sighs. She would probably run her fingers through his hair and down his back, moan his name. He was devour her if he could, suckle, suck, lick, pull, kiss, bite, tease, fall. He would fall into her if je was living a different life. He would have kissed her hand goodnite, asked her for a stroll, he’d make her his by the end of the month. Then he would come home every night and crawl into bed, wrapping his body around hers, listening to her little moans and whimpers, and they would be happy. But in that world there was none of this. No Odin, no business, no war, no death, no secrets, no history. Just Darcy and Loki and the wide open future.

When he finished the final cigarette, he made his way through the front door. Pushing through the curtains that separated the parlor from the entryway, he noticed most of the girls were either occupied or had gone to bed for the night. A few of them offered him a familiar wave as he made his way through the door on the far side of the room and into the kitchen. He pulled another curtain aside and stepped into the small office at the back of the house. Checking that no one was around, he dug a small key out from its hiding place and quickly unlocked the top drawer of the desk. Inside he found a note from the good doctor. He would be by the day after next to check over the girls. The cost of his services for that month was plainly written. Loki left the required amount of bills, locked the drawer, and stowed the key. He went out the back way, making his way through the alley and to the cross street, finally free to call it a night.

Tired, a little bit tipsy, and ready for bed, Loki wearily made his way across the street and down half a block. He approached the black door of number 80 and smiled to himself, taking a final drag from his cigarette before stamping it out on the pavement. Ida didn’t mind if he smoked inside, but he only ever smoked in her kitchen by the fire. It felt more like home that way. He looked both ways up and down the street and when he saw no one else and no windows with open curtains, he reached for the knob to number 82 and let himself in.

Usually, he’d enter Ida’s house by the back way, through the small yard that connected numbers 80 and 82. As far as the neighbourhood knew, Loki was just another tenant in her boarding house and he had every right to be letting himself in and out of the black door of number 80. The red door at number 82, however, was Ida’s private home and he would have little business going in there. It was no one’s business, however, to know that he spent each night at Ida’s, not in the boarding house. Their history or connection was no one’s business.

He let himself in and quickly hung his coat and slipped off his shoes. He tiptoed down the hall to the back of the house, creeping past Ida’s bedroom and into the kitchen. He knew she was asleep and he just wanted to complete his final errand. In the kitchen, he pulled an old biscuit tin out from a little hole in the wall behind her rack of aprons. He shook it gently, hearing the coins shuffle and clinck. She was so frugal, she never spent the whole amount he left her every week. He smiled as he opened the tin and deposited a stack of bills inside. He wished she would buy herself something sweet every once in a while, something to make her smile. Of course she didn’t, she wouldn’t. He knew where that extra money went every week. It went to the small, hungry mouths that wandered these streets day and night. It went to the girls down the street who had no one in the world to look after them. Loki was not the only lost soul who grew stronger from Ida’s attentions.

He stood at the sink and drank a few glasses of water, trying to wash the beer and the smoke and the remnants of his fight with his father out of the back of his throat. He knew he could put up with Odin’s taunts and threats if he was sure that this whole situation would someday be resolved. He just didn’t know what he would have to do to ensure that future, and the thought of it terrified him.

He turned off the lights and made his way back to the hall. Just as a he took a step to close the kitchen door behind him he heard Ida’s door crack open.

“I didn’t think you’d be home tonight, luv,” she called. She emerged from the dark, pulling her shawl around her shoulders. She looked tired, but not like she’d been sleeping yet.

“Ida,” he smiled softly, “its late.”

“I know, which is why I’m surprised to see you. After a night with your father, you usually stay out all night.” Loki opened his mouth to object, but she held up her hand. “I don’t need to know what you get in to. I’ve seen plenty of that, enough for a lifetime.” Loki just smiled and dropped his head. Despite his finely honed skill of lying, he would never be able to pull one over on Ida and, quite frankly, he didn’t want to. It comforted him to know that someone in the world saw him for who he was, flaws and all. Perhaps that why she almost felt like a mother; almost like Frigga.

“How was it?” she asked, her face lining with worry. Even though she could only imagine what it was like for him there, she’d heard enough over the years that she could picture almost every bit in true color.

“How about I tell you over a full English tomorrow morning?” he sighed, rubbing his face. He was tired and he knew that she would get up in a just a few hours to tend to the lodgers next door.

She smiled. Loki made no secret about how much he loved her cooking. It made her happy to feed someone. “Of course.” She shifted her weight, remembering the one thing she needed to discuss with him. “Did you have time to pay the doctor’s bill for the girls?” she asked.

He nodded silently and Ida smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll go over there tomorrow to see if they need anything. Did you see Mrs. Lubbock?”

“No,” he said, “and I was glad not to.”

“Aye, she’s not a nice one. But she doesn’t bother me, I don’t bother her.”

“Except that you keep watch over her girls.”

“Only because she doesn’t. She’s lucky I do or she’d make no money. And they’d all be out on the street.”

Loki leaned forward and planted a kiss in her hair. “No one’s going out on the street.” He stepped back and looked her in the eye. “That’s over now.”

‘Alright darling,” she said, reaching out to squeeze his arm. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He leaned forward and gave her another kiss goodnight on her cheek and turned to set out towards the stairs. “I put an extra blanket on the end of your bed this morning,” she called out over her shoulder. “I know you want to open the window for the fresh air, but it is still nippy.”

“Yes ma’am,” he called faintly as he ascended the stairs.

Ida smiled and shook her head at the quiet in the house. Loki was the only one she’d ever known who could silently climb the stairs; the only one save her lad Daniel.


	4. Chapter 4

Darcy bit her lip and looked anxiously to her left and her right. Thor and Jane were standing somewhere behind her, heads bent in quiet conversation, but she couldn’t have been less interested in their hushed hellos and whispers of affections.

She was excited when Thor suggested the idea of an outing because it meant a break in the unending boredom of sitting around Erik’s house. She was not accustomed to being trapped. In Chicago, she’d been free to come and go as she pleased, but then she had to all her life. She was always running somewhere to get something for her mother or to go watch someone’s children. And as she ran up and down the streets of her neighborhood there were countless women watching her every move, making sure she was safe, reporting back to her mother if she stopped too long in the street to talk to a boy. They may have had less money than she had now, but she certainly had more freedom. Young women of her and Jane’s status were not to wander around town without an escort, or so she had been informed by Erik’s housekeeper.. It wouldn’t be proper. And since she didn’t know anyone but Thor, there was no one to come and take her out.

So she and Jane spent their days in the house or in the garden if the weather was fair. They read, stitched, planned, and gossiped. Apparently it was ok for them to go shopping if the housekepper went with them. So Dary had an entirely new wardrobe, but no one to impress. Going to dinner at Odin’s house the night before had been the first major outing since she’d arrived and she’d decided that she would get dressed up because god knows when the next occasion would present itself. She was not the least bit blind to the looks she’d received from Loki throughout the night. Her effort had been worth it.

Loki. As she bit her lip and looked up and down the street again, she had to admit to herself that at least 50% of her excitement was the prospect of spending the day with him. They had no idea, of course, if he would actually show up. Thor had no way of getting in touch with him apparently, other than through their gardener. Darcy rolled her eyes at the thought. Clearly his father was a bit much, but so was the secrecy and drama. She had to make sure she got the story from his side and then teased him if she felt he deserved it.

Thor announced that they would wait a few more minutes and then set off for the gardens without him. He wasn’t exactly late, they had just arrived early so it seemed fair to wait till five pass the hour. Darcy turned around and lost herself in the architecture of the surrounding buildings. She had to admit that it was nice to be in a place with so much history. In Chicago, she often felt burdened by history, but it was in the people, not the landscape. Here the buildings were old, the streets, the parks. For all they knew they could be standing on top of an old wall, a castle, a mass grave of plague victims. She twisted her face as her own imagination; that was a bit grim.

“Is something the matter, Miss Lewis?”

His voice floated out of nowhere and it was smooth and low, like slowly moving water. It slid out of his mouth and into her ears; she felt the timber of it roll down her spine. She turned her head slowly to find none other than the mysterious Loki just to her left. She let her eyes move up and down his form. No longer in his dinner dress, he was now wearing an utterly commonplace black suit, except for his waistcoat. His waistcoat was black with green threads running through. They matched his eyes. Tall, slim, strong looking. He looked dangerous. She liked it.

She didn’t miss the way his gaze slid down her body either. She already knew he liked what he saw. The question was, would he do anything about it? That was the game to play, Darcy thought to herself. What will it take to make him act?

“I thought I told you to call me Darcy,” she replied with a knowing smile. She turned fully towards him, letting the wow factor of the slightly lower neckline of her dress enter into his gaze. She kept her eye locked on him, waiting for the tell tale sign. There it was, the ever so slight dilation of his pupils. Jane had blushed when Darcy bought the dress. It was the new fashion, she argued, and in a new city, in a new country, she had to be fashionable.

“You did,” he said, smirking slightly, “I apologize for my forgetfulness.”

It was Darcy’s turn to smirk. “I have a feeling you don’t really forget anything,” she said, keeping her gaze locked on him. He didn’t flinch from her challenge.

“No,” he finally said, “I rarely do, but I apologize for being late.” Loki felt his face stretch into a genuine smile. It wasn’t very often that his subtle tricks didn’t work; only a worthy adversary would call him out.

“Loki!” Thor exclaimed, finally looking up from Jane’s smiles long enough to realize his brother had arrived. “You are here, fantastic

Loki might have been able to withstand the power of Darcy’s gaze, but he visibly flinched at the enthusiasm of his brother. Darcy noticed and she wondered why he had chosen to join them. It was clear it was not because he wanted to spend time with Thor.

“Yes, I am here,” Loki sighed. “I concluded my business this morning and had the afternoon free. The weather is fair, you’ve attracted company far superior to your own, so I thought...well, why not.”

Thor smiled, not even seeming to notice Loki’s subtle jab. “Wonderful. I think we will all have a pleasant outing.”

“Where are we outing to brother?” Loki asked, taking a few steps forward to place himself at Darcy’s side. He already knew that his brother would be raptured with Jane. This was his chance to spend time with Darcy. It was the only reason he’d come. “These are not your usual haunts.”

“Well, I thought we might take the walks through Gray’s Inn to Clerkenwell and then venture over through that neighbourhood. Maybe attend the cinema. Do you approve brother?”

Loki gave a curt nod.

“Good!” Thor cried, clapping his hands, “let us away then. We are on a search for...was it tiramisu Darcy?” She smiled wildly and Thor beemed. “But first, we must work up the appetite.” He presented his arm to Jane, who blushed and smiled and wrapped her tiny hand around his bicep. Loki turned to Darcy and did the same and Darcy gave him a smile that could only mean one thing: she was far more interested in Loki than she was in tiramisu.

\-----------

The gardens of Gray’s Inn were really not that spectacular, at least not to Loki. Regent’s Park, St. James, really any number of places in London were superior for a fine day. And even though he couldn’t bare the thought of going to his father’s country estate, his mother’s garden outranked even the best that the Queen had to offer. Although perhaps he was bias.

No, the draw for the day was certainly Darcy Lewis. She looked ready for a bit of adventure. She had worn her long dark hair pulled back, but not tightly, and a few flowing tendrils fell around her face. Loki appreciated that Darcy did not attempt to follow all the styles of the bright young London socialites. She was her own person, with her own history, which he was very much interested in learning more about. He was, however, glad to see that she was taking a few fashion risks and appeared to be wearing a dress that gave him much more of her figure to consider than what she had worn to dinner last night. He was quite happy to watch Darcy coming towards him, and equally happy to watch her walking away.

At that moment, he was smiling to himself as she kept a pace beside him. Thor and Jane were several steps ahead of them, their heads together in conversation and whispers, as they were known to do. For the short walk to Gray’s Inn, Darcy had entertained Loki with her description of Erik’s house and what it felt like to be trapped inside. Suffice to say that she was quite in need of a day out in the sunshine and Loki found himself immediately offering to take her to London’s parks whenever she desired. He bit the inside of his cheek at his own haste and foolishness. He let himself be too eager and most likely, he would not be able to fulfill the promise. But Darcy had only smiled and bit her lip and said she would be very happy if he would join her for more walks. Then she wrapped her hand around his bicep and let him lead her silently through the gates and down the main walk of the garden.

“Penny for your thoughts,” he murmured, leaning his head towards here. She’d gone quiet somewhere in the past 100 meters or so.

“Only a penny?” she gasped, teasing him slightly.

“On no,” Loki replied, “I’m afraid the price is quite dear. Far out my range.”

“Perhaps,” Darcy mused. “But then I suppose your’s are quite expensive as well. You were very quiet at dinner last night.”

Loki faltered slightly. He wasn’t accustomed to this kind of familiarity and directness from a recent acquaintance, even if was a beautiful woman he was contemplating seducing.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, turning her face away from him, “we Americans can be too blunt.”

“Well, you are clear about your questions. Perhaps there is nothing wrong with that. The Brits can be a bit…”

“Closed off. Obtuse. Stoic. Brick-like,” Darcy sighed, turning her gaze towards the trees moving gently in the breeze. Their buds were new and she was happy to see the bright green pop against the blue of the sky. It seemed as though spring had arrived in London and maybe the dark, grey days were soon behind her.

“Oh Miss. Lewis,” Loki hummed, “you cut us deep.” Loki watched her carefully as they walked. Her gaze was cast afield, taking in her surroundings. She was a more honest and open conversant than he had encountered in sometime, but she wasn’t needling him. She barely looked at him. He sensed that she wasn’t trying to gain the upperhand. She had simply decided not to hold her tongue.

“I would assume not,” she replied, her gaze casting about the new flowers blooming at the edge of the path. “It is very difficult to cut through stone.” She stopped to stoop at a patch of wildflowers that had escaped the ax of the overly manicured lawn. She fingered the petals gently and Loki couldn’t help but wonder what she was trying to connect to, or rather, what she felt disconnected from.

When she looked back up, she found Loki smiling down at her. “I sense that you are not offended by my comments,” she said, standing back up to face him. “I do apologize if they are overly harsh. Perhaps I am having a hard time adjusting to a new culture.”

“No, Darcy,” Loki sighed, looking ahead and seeing that Thor and Jane had paused and were looking back at them, “I think you are just limited in your company. You may have sensed last night that it is a bit hard to get a word in edge-wise around my father. Perhaps we have all just learned to be quiet.”

Darcy considered him silently and Loki suddenly felt something he almost never felt: bare, vulnerable. Seen.

“No,” she said slowly. “I don’t think so. You certainly didn’t seem to have trouble getting a word in before you left.”

Loki sucked a breath in and turned away from her. She was inquisitive and persistent. Any one else would have been seen as impertinent, but he had forgiven her before she even began.

“I was sad to see you leave.”

Her words pulled him back immediately. He swallowed and looked down at his feet, suddenly feeling unsure of himself. It was not a feeling he was accustomed to and he hated it. He nodded, hoping to fill his silence with something else while he found his words.

“As I said,” Darcy continued, “you were so quiet at dinner and you left so soon, we didn’t have a chance to get acquainted.”

“And you would like to be acquainted,” he replied, much quicker than he even realized.

At his response, Darcy broke into a dazzingly smile. “Well,” she sighed, turning to start their walking again, “we’ve already established that the daily life of Erik’s house is about as exciting as watching clouds drift by. It is fine for a few days, relaxing even, but soon enough you grow tired of it. I have to admit I miss a bit of the excitement of the city.”

“But you are in the one of the world’s largest cities,” Loki protested.

“Well, you wouldn’t know that from the far corner of Erik’s parlor,” she murmured. “Or for that matter, from your father’s dinner table.”

“In other words, you are unsatisfied.”

“Is it obvious?” she teased.

Loki smiled. This was far easier banter than he had hoped for. “And do you think making my acquaintance would ease this dissatisfaction, alleviate the tedium?”

“I am hoping, I will admit. Thor and Jane are perfectly sweet, but...they are Thor and Jane. I’m afraid you are my only hope,” she smiled.

Loki felt his face warm at her comment. She preferred him. No one ever preferred him. He thought himself immune to this sort of play with a woman; he thought he had closed himself off and put that part of himself on hold for another life. He felt a shadow move through his insides as he realized he was not the least bit prepared for what Darcy Lewis might mean in his life. He would need to keep her at a distance and it would be much harder than he anticipated.

He looked up to see his brother staring down at him. He knew by the look on Thor’s face that Thor saw the reality before him. Darcy was holding onto his arm, her body turned into his, their heads bent together. Loki was blushing and smiling, two things he hadn’t done in his brother’s presence since they were children. Loki scowled at the realization that, at least to some degree, he had been caught.

As they approached Thor and Jane, Loki tensed up and quieted himself. He had not revealed anything to Darcy, but she had made it clear that she knew he was keeping parts of himself hidden away intentionally. He wasn’t just quiet, he was quiet on purpose. His mind turned over this realization about her; she saw more than she should. She saw more than he wanted her too.

“Oh Darcy,” Jane sighed as they approached them, “your hair…it is too windy for what you’ve done.”

“It’s all right Jane,” Darcy smiled, smoothing her wild tendrils back from her face.

“But you should have worn your new hat,” Jane insisted.

“No,” Darcy grinned, turning her face up to the sky. “I am in need of the sun and I’m not afraid of it. Why are these British women afraid of the sun?”

“It makes you old too fast,” Thor smiled.

“No it doesn’t,” Darcy replied, “suffering makes you old. I intend not to suffer anymore than necessary in life and the sun helps to relieve what suffering there is. Therefore, I will welcome it and will not get in its way.”

Loki was just starting to believe that it was nearly impossible not to smile like a fool around Darcy Lewis. She had a way of phrasing things and an openness to talking about the world that he had not experienced before. Yes there were many times in the afternoon that he felt his hand twitch at the idea of wrapping itself around her small waist and pulling her body against his, but he found himself equally entranced with the sound of her voice. He thought it odd that he could be entertained by her musings and he found them not the least bit wearisome.

“You are quite the philosopher Darcy,” Thor grinned. “Perhaps it is the influence of your Roman ancestry.”

Darcy smirked at him as she took Jane’s elbow and started again on the path. “Thor,” she admonished, “the Greeks were good at thinking, the Romans excelled at war.”

Thor stood with his mouth open silently as Loki took a silent place beside him. Together, they watched the two women walk ahead of them.

“Well,” Thor finally hummed, clapping his hand on Loki’s shoulders, “I think you got lucky brother.”

“What could you possibly mean?” Loki sighed, stepping out of his brother’s gasp.

“I think she has a good temperament for you. She’s quite feisty and very beautiful.”

“You can’t be serious, Thor,” Loki spit. He kept his gaze locked on Darcy’s form, but he could sense his brother vigorously nodding at his side.

“I am very serious,” he replied. “Jane and I have discussed it. You would make a good match. And I am quite sure, despite your best efforts to appear otherwise, that you are not disinterested.”

“What man would be disinterested,” Loki murmured. That at least was true. He was only a man and the things he wanted to do with Darcy Lewis were only natural.

“Exactly,” Thor grinned, easing away from Loki’s side and joining Darcy and Jane on the sidewalk. They had traversed the whole of the garden and arrived at the bustling street. Loki straightened his jacket and took his place at Darcy’s side, just as his father had instructed. He told himself that his closeness to her as they walked down the street was fleeting, but necessary. He wouldn’t let her been see in this part of town without an escort; he wouldn’t let the men on the street think she was open to their perusal. He could pretend, at least for each block they wandered in silence, that she was his.

He glanced ahead and saw Thor pulling open the door of the cafe and ushering Jane inside. Loki caught his eye just briefly and nodded, letting him know that he would bring Darcy along and Thor need not wait. He pursed his lips at the overly exaggerated smile his brother gave him; now that Thor knew there was something between Darcy and Loki, he would never drop it.

Suddenly Darcy stopped and turned towards a window display, gasping to Loki that they had to come back and visit the sweet shop because it had little marzipan fruits she had always loved as a child. He smiled at her delighted face, awash in happiness and wonder at the perfect little replicas of apples and peaches and pears, all molded and painted by hand. He was so lost in Darcy’s delight that he didn’t notice the approaching figure on the sidewalk until his shoulder was clipped by that of another man. He spun quickly, trying to see who had so rudely pushed him aside, when he saw the dark gaze of an unwelcome figure looking back at him from a few steps away. Loki shuddered and steeled himself. This was a most unwelcome occurrence.

“Darcy,” he said, his voice now absent of the playful tone he had used all afternoon, “I think we better run along to the cafe. Thor and Jane are waiting.”

“Yes, I guess we should,” she sighed longingly, her fingers tracing the window. “But promise me we’ll come back another day,” she pouted as he took her elbow and swiftly guided her down the sidewalk.

“Of course,” he said, hurriedly pulling open the door to the cafe. Darcy stepped over the threshold, but turned quickly when she realized that Loki was not following her through. Instead he stayed caught on the sidewalk, holding the door and gazing off down the street.

“Loki?” she asked quietly, trying to hold a smile when it was clear he was now distracted by something. “Are you coming along?”

He turned back to her and frowned. His focus was elsewhere. “I”m afraid, Darcy, that I need to step away for a moment. Please join Thor and Jane for your coffee and tiramisu. I will be back as soon as possible.” Without another word, he turned, letting the door close in Darcy’s face.

\---------

The tiramisu was lovely, but Darcy didn’t really enjoy it. She sat gazing out the window, wondering where Loki was. Eventually, her companions gave up on including her in the conversation and before she knew it, Thor signaled that it was time to go.

“Ladies, I believe we should continue on to the cinema if we are to see the film,” Thor said, standing up slowly and reaching into his coat pocket for a few bills.

Darcy frowned. “Should we not wait for Loki?” She turned her head and looked out the window, hoping to see him appear outside the cafe.

“It’s fine Darcy,” Jane smiled, “Loki knows where we are going. He will just join us at the cinema.”

Reluctantly, Darcy gave a small grin and rose to follow Jane and Thor out of the cafe and down the sidewalk, occasionally turning to look behind her in case she saw a certain tall, dark haired man making his way through the crowd. When they arrived at the cinema, Loki had still not caught up to them and Darcy was quite pleased to see a bit of line. They waited patiently, making small talk about Charlie Chaplin and their other favorite film stars. Darcy nodded along, but really she could have cared less. Her eyes continuously scanned the streets for a sign of Loki.

When it was their turn, Thor stepped forward to purchase the tickets and Darcy stepped away from the crowd. That was when she finally spotted him. He was in a small alleyway across the street, just at the opening into the street. Darcy stepped to the edge of the sidewalk, squinting to see as much of Loki as she could. His head was bowed in conversation with an older man and he was scowling. Darcy was sure she looking at a meeting that wasn’t entirely voluntary and it looked to her as if the older man was saying something that made Loki tense and scowl more with every passing second.

Suddenly Loki’s head flew up and his fist grabbed the man’s coat, jerking him against the wall of the adjacent building. Loki’s finger flew in the man’s face and Darcy could see him hissing in disdain. The older man remained calm and simply spoke to Loki with such a cold stare that eventually Loki let him go, his body almost collapsing under the weight of the stranger’s words. The older man, salt and pepper hair with a thick mustache, smoothed his hand down the front of his coat and turned away, taking a sharp turn out of the alley and melting into the crowd. Loki watched him go, before taking a deep breath, and turning to head into the interior of the alley.

Darcy frowned. She knew now he wasn’t coming back, but she no longer cared about the film. She knew what it looked like when someone was threatening someone. She knew what it looked like when someone had something on someone else. She knew that Loki was in trouble.


	5. Chapter 5

Herschel took a moment to chuckle to himself as he pushed the door to Loki’s bedroom open. There was only one thing that could produce snoring like that: whiskey, and lots of it. To be fair, he was pretty sure that Loki was more than a week into a good old fashioned bender. In the past ten days, Herschel and Ida estimated that Loki was sober from roughly noon to 4pm each day. He was hungover, but not drinking. By tea time, he was on the piss.

Ida had had enough when, for the eighth morning in a row, she had to throw a bucket on the pile of vomit between her door and the boarding house. While she couldn’t say with absolute certainty that it was Loki’s, she felt pretty confident given that he was snoring to wake the dead and she couldn’t rouse him for anything. His clothes reeked, his room was in a shambles, and she’d barely seen him. That morning she put down her bucket, picked up the telephone that Loki had installed in the office of her boarding house, and called Herschel.

Herschel let out an exaggerated sigh and heavily sat on Loki’s bed, causing his body to bounce a bit. He grinned as he heard a pained moan rise from the pile of dark hair and pillows. Just for a bit of emphasis, he bounced again. A few choice expletives emerged from the pile.

“Come on now you arsehole,” he laughed, making a fist and pounding gently on the small of Loki’s back. “Up you come.”

“Bloody hell,” a disembodied voice moaned.

“Don’t come up too fast and chunder on the floor here. Ida’s had enough of washing your sick away.”

Loki only moaned and rolled on his side. The urge to vomit was strong, and certainly not helped along by Herschel’s continued bouncing. Finally, with a great amount of effort, he managed to open his eyes and focus on his friend sitting at the end of the bed in his shirt sleeves with a broad grin on his face.

“You don’t have to be such a bloody tosser about it,” Loki groaned, shielding his eyes from the light.

“I believe I do,” Herschel said with a smile. He moved to cross his legs, again with an exaggerated movement that made the bed sway. “You owe your nearest and dearest an explanation for this out-of-character behaviour.”

“Is it really out of character?” Loki whispered. Herschel’s thundering voice wasn’t helping the situation either.

Herschel's face turned serious and he leaned over Loki. “Ida’s worried about you. You haven’t done this since the letter came about Daniel. And I get it, I do, I went on the piss with you that time. But we’re in the dark and you’re in the weeds.” He paused a minute to let his words sieve through the drunken cloud surrounding Loki’s brain. “Come on,” he said, motioning his head towards the door, “Ida’s made you a fry up. It’ll help.”

\------------

Ida smiled at the two young men sitting at her kitchen table. It wasn’t often that she had the two of them in the same place these days, and although she was happy to have them, her heart ached at the thought of the one who was missing. It has always been Daniel and Herschel as boys; they had grown up at her table, even when she and Daniel didn’t have a table at all. Then, after Loki had joined them, the three of them would come around when Daniel and Loki had leave. Those had been happy days, even though they knew the happiness couldn’t last forever. Nothing, she knew, was forever, except her love for her lost son.

Herschel laughed quietly as Loki turned away from the plates of food Ida put on the table and let his head land on the wood with a thump. “Come on” she said, rubbing his back, “start with the toast. Part of the reason you feel like death is because there is nothing in your stomach but bile and alcohol. I would guess you haven’t had a proper meal in days.”

Loki nodded miserably, but managed to push his hand out to grab a piece of warm, buttered toast. He took a nibble from under the curtain of his hair, not sitting up to watch Herschel laugh at him as he choked it down. He thought the first few bites might come back up and he took deep, long breaths to steady his stomach. He felt awful and weak, but he also felt safe. Ida’s kitchen, with this patchwork family, was the only place he felt safe enough to be himself.

Finally, he lifted his head and Herschel pushed a mug of tea across the table. Loki sat up in his chair and quietly sipped the warm liquid as Herschel went through an entire plate of eggs, beans, toast, rashers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. And then Herschel started in on Loki’s plate.

“Ida’ll make you more,” he mumbled with his mouth full. “No point in letting it get cold.”

“You’re a terrible Jew,” Loki exhaled, closing his eyes. A little bit of teasing would ease him back into the world of the living.

“I am,” Herschel nodded. “I eat pork, because god dammit it tastes good, and I fuck, drink, smoke, steal, lie, cheat, and work every god damn day of the week. But the Jewish thing is good for business,” he smiled.

“Herschel is a good person,” Ida smiled, bending over to put a kiss on the top of his head. Herschel gave Loki a knowing smile and wrapped his arm around Ida waist, tucking his head against her stomach. They held each other for a minute and Loki took another deep breath.

“Ida, I’m sorry I scared you,” he said quietly, peering into the now empty mug.

“And you’re sorry about the sick on the front walk,” Herschel continued.

“And about that,” Loki sighed, rubbing his face.

“You see!” Herschel exclaimed, pointing his fork at Loki, “I told you it was his.”

Loki scowled and reached over to grab more toast off the plate before Herschel inhaled it all. Ida sat down at the table giving Loki a smaller plate of eggs, beans, and mushrooms. “Here,” she said, “eat some protein, leave out the grease. It’ll help your stomach.” Loki picked up a fork and smiled, starting with small bites of food. One bean at a time.

They ate silently for a few minutes, Ida sipping her tea and picking at a piece of bread. Finally, she put her cup down and reached across the table to grasp Loki’s forearm. She gave him a squeeze and looked at Herschel.

Herschel put his fork down. “What’s on now Loki? The boys have been seeing you around the docks, listening in on those ranting trades blokes.”

Loki sighed. “I’ve been given a...task.”

Ida furrowed her brow. “By who?”

“The only people who can demand such a thing from me.”

Herschel leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “I thought you were out of their sights. That bloke who came around after Daniel’s letter came…he said you were done.”

“No,” Loki shook his head, “it appears I am not. I have been pressed back into service.”

“Pressed?” Ida asked, her voice betraying her confusion.

“He did not ask nicely,” Loki scowled.

“What does he know?” Herschel asked. Loki already saw it churning in Herschel’s eyes. He was a very intelligent man, and very successful as his various illegalities in part because he was so calculating and could see so many steps down any given road of action.

“Nothing about what goes on here,” Loki sighed, shoveling a fork full of eggs into his mouth. Of course Ida had been right. Now that he’d eased in a little sustenance, he was ravenous. She was immediately up and pulling out fruit and a block of cheese and more bread for him, a worried look written across her face. He swallowed and wiped his mouth, sitting back in his chair and looking at the concern across the faces of his two dearest friends. “Ida, everything will be fine. If he knows anything about Herschel’s business, he hasn’t brought it up. I believe our rouse has been successful. As far as he knows, as far as anyone knows, I’m here because I have problems with horse races and drink and Herschel is just my friendly neighborhood bookie.”

Ida came back with more food and slowly placed the plate on the table. Loki grabbed her fingers and kissed the back of her hand. “Ida, I told you, you don’t have to worry about those things anymore.”

“Oi, Ida, Loki’s right,” Herschel chimed in. “He and I have set it up. If anything happens to us, you’ll be fine. You’ve got this house, you’ve got the boarding business, and my pub, the only honest thing I’ve got, will be yours too. Plenty of good strong business for honest income.”

Ida blinked away a few tears. “I know I won’t be on the street again because you two are like my own sons,” she reached out and took Herschel’s hand as Loki squeezed the one still clasped in his palm, “but that means I wouldn’t have either of you and I need you more than money.” A few tears slipped down her cheek and both of the men knew she was thinking about Daniel. They tried to warm her heart and her home, to make up for her dead child, but they could never fully fill the hole he left behind.

“Come on now Ida-mum,” Herschel smiled, “I’ll never leave you.”

“Neither will I,” Loki said quickly. Not willing, he thought to himself.

The three of them continued eating in silence for a few minutes, before Herschel finally dropped his fork, pushed his chair back and sighed. He rubbed his belly warmly and began to dig in his pocket for his cigarettes. “So finish the story,” he mumbled, lighting the cigarette between his lips, “what do they have on you?”

“Not me,” Loki sighed, running his hands through his hair, “Odin.”

Herschel picked a bit of tobacco off his tongue. He knew to tread with caution.

“Odin has secrets?” he asked.

“Of course he does.”

“And those secrets are also sins.”

Loki gave him a knowing glare. “All rich people have secret sins. That’s how they get rich.”

“And this one…”

“Will ruin my brother.”

Herschel nodded. He knew Loki found his older brother annoying, but he didn’t hate him like he hated his father. He had always suspected, deep down, that Loki might even care what happened to him, and now he knew it.

Ida turned her tea cup in her hands. “Did the news come as a shock?”

“No,” Loki said, turning to look out the window. “I already knew. Daniel told me.”

“How did Daniel know?” she asked, truly curious. Her son’s work, his deeds, were such a mystery to her.

“Because,” Loki smiled, “Daniel knew everything. He was the best.” He reached across the table and took a cigarette from Herschel’s case. He lit it slowly and took a long drag. “When Thor and I enlisted, we were sent to the testing service and then split up. They shipped him out to training and they put me in a basement at the war department with seven other guys. All day long we read reports of troop movement and tried to figure out where they were going next. It was a totally pointless activity. And then one day, Daniel came and pulled me out. He picked me from the lot of them and at that point, he already knew everything there was to know about me.” Loki took another long drag from his cigarette and leaned back in his chair. “He knew more about me than I knew of myself.”

“When did he tell you?” Herschel asked. He was always curious about the time Loki and Daniel had spent together during the war. He wasn’t jealous, even though Loki stepped quite seamlessly into the little brother role he had played for Daniel since he was a child. Loki shared something with Daniel that Herschel could never understand; a unrelenting need to be recognized for his intelligence. Herschel had learned long ago that operating deep in the shadows was a far better way to get through life, letting people underestimate you took you far. The irony was that Daniel and Loki’s talents were the same as his: lurking, watching, waiting, letting people think they were just foolish, poor kids from the streets of Camden.

“About a ten months before we were captured,” Loki said, leaning back to flick his cigarette butt into the fire. “We were home…”

“I remember,” Ida smiled warmly. It was the last time Daniel had slept in his bed.

“The morning we left was gorgeous and we waited at the shipyard for hours for our transport to come and slip us across the sea to Brussels. After we waited two hours, word came we would wait another two and Daniel pulled this file out of his bag and gave it to me. Then he went to sit by the water and told me to join him when I was ready. It took me the whole two hours to get up and go over there.”

“What was it?” Ida asked. She gave Loki her most supportive look she could muster. There was nothing he had done that would turn her away from her adopted son, and nothing much surprised her in the world anymore.

“It doesn’t matter,” Loki replied, staring into the fire. “I can’t say no.”

“Can’t say no to what?” Herschel prodded, offering him another cigarette.

“Just a little intelligence gathering,” Loki mumbled, lighting the cigarette. “I did used to be a bloody military spy. I suppose I can follow a trade unionist for a few weeks.”

Just then there was a knock at the back door and Ida hurried up to tend to whatever was going on at the boarding house. She hustled out, calling over her shoulder for them to scrape their dishes and wash them up.

Herschel and Loki stared at the fire for a few minutes, smoking in silence and contemplation.

“It won’t just be following him will it?” he asked finally. “In the end that is.” The government was going after trade unionist and communists for sedition and for helping the Irish in their war.

“No,” Loki sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I suspect not.”

“And the drinking?”

“I don’t want to do this anymore.” Herschel shivered as Loki’s voice went cold. Killing men for business had never bothered Herschel, but he had never done some of the things that Daniel and Loki had, the things you do to men to get them to talk before you end it for good. Loki sighed again, pulling Herschel’s attention back to him. “Doing it for a war is one thing,” he continued.

“And now it’s for what?” Herschel asked.

“God and country.”

At that Herschel laughed. “Fuck god and country.”

\---------------

Herschel did the washing up and wiped up Ida’s tables while Loki went up to wash and change. They had decided that Loki could take a day off from following a suspected communist around Camden Town and Herschel had need of his talents elsewhere.

When Loki was ready, and far more steady on his feet, they set out to an abandoned warehouse on the far side of the neighborhood. Herschel promised it would just be a quick errand. He just needed Loki’s silvertongue to convince a few Irish pugilists to throw their upcoming matches. There would be a little bit in it for them, and a lot in it for Herschel.

Because Loki could convince a cat to swim the English Channel, they were back at the pub not even 90 minutes later. Herschel gave him a wide smile and disappeared into his office. He was glad he and Loki had become friends, nearly brothers. Having someone who was trained to lie so well made many facets of his business that much easier; a little diplomacy went a long way. While most folks either thought Loki was a drunk rich kid or some even thought he was a partner in Herschel’s business, Herschel knew that really, Loki was just his friend and neither of them had too many of those.

Loki was just settling in with a beer at the bar when a familiar figure pushed through the front door. He licked his lips and motioned to the barmaid for a second pint. Steve was the nephew of Odin’s longtime groundskeeper Nick. Steve was a good boy; Odin had paid his way through school and he was off to Cambridge in the fall. Loki knew, however, that if he saw Steve, there was a message coming from Nick. Nick and Steve were the only people in Odin’s circle that knew how to find him and that’s the way Loki liked it.

They chatted casually while Steve gulped his beer. It was getting warm out and he was thirsty. He’d walked from Mayfair to Camden, of course, saving every penny he had for his matriculation later that year. Loki made sure to stuff a few pounds in his coat pocket and give him a glare that said he better not protest.

“So I am summoned, I take it,” Loki sighed.

“Yes sir,” Steve nodded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Lord Odinson is having a small party this evening. He says you have to come, it is a matter of family importance.”

Loki groaned. What could be so important? Then a thought occurred to him that he had done his utmost to push down for the past two weeks.

“Who is included in this party?” he asked, taking a long sip of beer.

“Your usual connections,” Steve said. “Doctor Selvig and Miss Foster…”

“And Miss Lewis,” Loki said slowly. He felt something burn in the pit of his stomach, deep down almost bleeding into another part of him. Just the thought of her stirred him up.

“Yes, and Miss Lewis,” Steve said. Loki smiled as the young man blushed slightly.

“Miss Lewis is quite something, is she not?” Loki grinned, whacking Steve on the back.

“Yes, she is,” he said quietly. “I’ve never seen a woman like her before.”

Loki shook his head and grinned into the bottom of his beer glass. “Neither have I,” he replied.

\-------

By the time Loki arrived at the house that evening, he was starting to feel the effects of laying off the whiskey. He felt fidgety and sore, his hands shook and he had a headache coming on. He took to his room, slipping through the house without having the butler announce his arrival. Of course more dinner clothes had just appeared. Odin’s house was an endless supply of the things you need to keep up appearances. Instead, Loki decided to lay down and read for a bit. The only thing he missed at Odin’s house was his books.

The ruckus of Thor’s thundering voice jolted him from below. His brother was bellowing and he sounded happy. The door to his room flew open and suddenly this brother’s visage field the whole space.

“Ah, good!” he exclaimed, “you are here. I am so glad.”

Loki dropped his book on his chest with resignation. “What is this about Thor?”

“We are having a celebration and I wanted you to be here.”

“And what are we celebrating?”

“Jane and I are engaged.”

Loki felt his blood stop moving for a moment. It was entirely possible that he had been summoned simply to congratulate his brother and his childhood friend in their happiness. He felt, however, that there were other reasons.

“Thor,” he said cautiously, “has father suggested…”

“No,” Thor said, shaking his head, “none of that. I’ve told him that we are simply celebrating Jane and I’s happiness and there will be none of this ridiculous fighting about the business. Come, get dressed. The evening is very fair and we will celebrate in the garden.” Thor took to the door and paused for a moment before turning back. “And I dare say that Darcy will be very glad to see you. She has been asking for you these past few weeks, but Nick said you were too busy to be roused to our company. I have sent word that you are were expected tonight. I think you can expect glad tidings from her.” He gave Loki a little eyebrow wiggle and a silly smile before ducking out the door.

Loki sighed heavily; the idea of seeing Darcy set his stomach back to rumbles and also there was some stirring...farther down.

\---------------

Dinner was a happy and elegant affair. Loki was not seated near enough to Darcy to be able to speak with her directly without inviting the entire table into the conversation. Still, it would have been hard for anyone to miss the way Darcy and Loki looked at each other, looked away from each other, looked for each other. At one point, Loki knew that Odin had caught him. The old man relaxed back into his chair with a satisfied smile on his face

After the meal, Thor lept up and requested that they all retire to the garden for a drink. Odin grumbled slightly about the tradition, but Thor clapped him on the back and insisted that he’d had champagne laid out and the flowers were scenting the air and the weather was warm. He wanted to celebrate under the stars. “You can still smoke out there old man,” he grinned.

Loki smiled to himself as he realized that Darcy had waited for him by the door and they easily fell into step. He ushered out into the gardens, happy to see the snapdragons and the lilac in full bloom. Darcy wondered over to particularly fragrant bush and took a deep breath.

“We have these in Chicago in the spring as well,” she sighed, reaching out to touch a soft, purple blossom. “They smell so wonderful.”

“They do,” Loki murmured, suppressing an urge to pull her hair to one side, bury his face in her next, and smell her. He had to admit that the drink had been useful in pushing his urge for Darcy to the farthest corner of his mind. If he wanted to avoid the urge to abuse himself with longing for a woman he could never really have, going to bed dumb drunk every night was the best way to do it. His gaze drifted down the curve of Darcy’s face, into her throat, and towards the inviting dip of her breast. Loki felt that familiar hot sensation of blood rushing to his groin and he turned away quickly to focus on something far less interesting. A drink would not help him now to avoid embarrassment. He would need a dozen to turn off his desire for her.

“You’ve been missing,” she murmured, turning towards him. She found herself staring at his profile, his gaze cast out somewhere across the garden. “I was worried.”

His eyes flew to hers quickly and Loki felt a thump in his chest. He had not dared hope that Darcy might actually care about him. After their walk those weeks ago, he thought she might consider him a distraction from her own boredom, an interesting object of a person. But not, he had decided, an actual person.

“You left that day without word, I hoped that all was well, but you did not call or write,” she whispered, her voice trailing off. “I wanted to know what became of you, but Thor did not know either. He told me not to concern myself, but…”

“But what?” Loki murmured, watching her eyes shift and her lips plump as she worried them with her teeth.

“I was concerned,” she replied. Loki had never wanted to kiss anyone so much in his life. Suddenly, he remembered what he had not done that day and what he was obliged to do tomorrow. He took a step back, knowing that if he were to extricate himself from the claws of the British government, he would have to disappear. And men who disappear never disappear with beautiful women by their sides.

“Thank you, Darcy, but I am well,” he said quietly. He could tell right away that she didn’t believe him. “I apologize for my absence,” he began, trying to shift the conversation away, “have you made it to any of the other gardens we discussed.”

“No,” she smiled, “I’m not going unless you take me.”

“Well, I know I am bias, but I do believe my mother’s garden is one of the finest I have seen.”

“So Jane says,” Darcy smiled. “I have spent time here, and Thor has been saying that we should all visit the country soon since the seasons have changed and it is nicest in the summer.”

“Yes, you should accept his invitation…”

“Will you come?” Darcy wasn’t sure why, but spending the night under the same roof as Loki suddenly seemed like an excellent idea.

Loki opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He was not sure how much Darcy knew about his conflict with his family or that he hadn’t set foot in his father’s country home in years. There was too much of his mother there, and especially that place, that land, was holding sway over him that he would rather see gone. It was forcing him into things he would rather run away from.

“I don’t know…” he managed to choke out, very much wishing he had accepted a whiskey rather than attempt to abstain.

Darcy was about to try and entice him when suddenly Odin was calling them over. They joined the rest of the group for another few rounds of toasts and then Odin stood from his chair and raised his glass.

“I am very happy for this day,” he said proudly. “I am happy to see Erik and I’s children joining together to start the new generation of this work, of this enterprise, and I am happy to see our lifelong endeavors secure in their future.” Loki rolled his eye. Of course Odin was more concerned about his legacy and his fortune than he was about his children’s happiness. “I am very happy that this marriage will provide a solid foundation for Asgard Enterprise to move forward, with two brothers united at the helm and one, if not two beautiful, women helping this endeavor along.” He turned and gave a warm smile to Darcy and a knowing glance at Loki.

“Here here,” said Thor, throwing back his glass of champagne. Everyone moved to drink, except Loki, who put his crystal glass down with enough force to ring out through the silent garden.

“Meaning what father?” he snarled.

“Loki,” Thor warned.

“Meaning, my son, that this family is consolidating its interests and enough of your dithering about. Let this occasion mark the beginning of your brother’s new life and your return to the family fold.”

“This marriage changes nothing,” Loki laughed. “I am happy for Thor and Jane, but I have not changed my mind about joining the business.”

Darcy flinched at the cold look that took over Odin’s face. She knew, somewhere inside her, that he had to have a nasty side. She knew she was about to see it. Instinctively she felt herself move closer to Loki, her hand reaching out to hold the back of his coat in a silent gesture to keep steady.

“Loki,” Odin snarled, “when I say enough is enough, I mean it. You will take up your family duty. I will not have an idle, crass son in my midst. No more of your drinking, whoring, and gambling about in Camden. You think that because I don’t know how to find you means I don’t know what you are doing. I know exactly how you spend your time. Drunk, falling through the streets, going to the races. Wasting your time and intellect and your family’s money, siphoning off your trust fund to pay that awful bookie who steals from you like you’re a foolish child. You are a disgrace and your mother would be ashamed of you if she was still here. It is time for this to end; you will obey me.”

Darcy’s grip on the back of Loki’s coat grew stronger. No one wanted an explosion, including her, but mostly she wanted him out of this unscathed. Odin was cruel, but perhaps he was right. Was Loki lost in the clutches of this kind of life? It wouldn’t be the first time Darcy had seen it, but she hadn’t suspected it was in Loki’s character. He seemed too...focused.

She could feel his breathing ratchet up and heat came off his bottom. She could feel his anger pouring out of him. But as she tightened her hold on his coat and it pulled against his body, he snapped his head towards her and fixed his gaze. He face was flushed, his nostrils flared, his eyes a blaze. “Don’t go,” she whispered.

But Loki could not stay. He did not need to burn the place down on his way out. How dare Odin accuse him of such behaviour; the world would stop spinning if Loki told the truth of Odin. Instead, he straightened his coat, yanking it out of Darcy’s grasp and with one cold look at his father, strode away from the party and out of the garden.

In the moments that followed, the remaining party members erupted. Thor turned to his father and began to yell. Jane was at Thor’s elbow, begging him to be calm. Erik turned and sauntered off to a far corner of the garden, shaking his head.

Darcy calmly put down her glass and followed Loki through the house. She heard the front door open and she silently followed him out. She arrived on the sidewalk just in time to see Loki climb into a carriage and head off into the night. It was her lucky night. Another carriage arrived immediately after and without another thought she climbed in and ordered the driver to follow.


	6. Chapter 6

Darcy frowned as the carriage pulled to a stop at the top of a grimy, dark looking street. The loud slap of wood shocked her to attention as the driver slid back the small opening in the front of the carriage so he could yell into her.

“Your man went down thataway,” the carriage driver yelled. She looked down the dark alley and he must have sensed her apprehension. “That’s no place for the likes of you,” he continued. “He’s probably only gone down to the pub, there’s nothing else down there, but it's not the place for high born ladies like yourself.”

Darcy frowned and straightened her shoulders. She was not high born.

She pulled a few notes out of her brassiere and slipped them through the window to the driver. It had been something her mother always did. A little emergency supply of cash could always come in handy. He seemed pleased with his tip and hopped down to open the door for her, even going so far as to help her out and onto the pavement, navigating her around some questionable substances.

“I’m quite serious m’lady,” he said, his voice a bit less gruff. “I would be concerned to see you head down that way.”

“I will be fine,” Darcy smiled, “but thank you for your concern.” She gave him a sharp nod to indicate the conversation was done, lifted her skirts the slightest bit, and trekked off into the low light and bad smells.

It was true that she hadn’t spent all her time in places like this in Chicago, but she certainly wasn’t a stranger to them. They all smelled the same; poverty, sadness, desperation all have the same smell, the world over. They all smelled like sewage and things that were rotting. She chided herself a bit though as she realized how soft she’d gotten; that was nothing to be proud of.

At the end of a dark alleyway, the narrow opening emptied into a larger, brighter laneway and at the far side of the street sat a rathe decrepit looking pub. She could tell it had been there for some time, but she could also tell by the men milling about outside that it had a diverse clientele. This was her only, and best, bet as to where to find Loki.

It didn’t take long at all. He was camped at the far side of the bar, his face stuck in a glass of beer, scowling and talking in short bursts with the man behind the bar. That man had a kind face, and he seemed to be listening sympathetically to what Loki was saying.

Darcy cleared her throat and started the long walk across the old board floors towards Loki, her heels clacking with every step. Her passing interrupted conversations and card games; she turned heads and garnished whistles. Loki, however, was oblivious to the commotion around him because she was practically right next to him by the time he finally looked up at her.

“Darcy!” he exclaimed, jolting on his stool. She had about a second to hope that he would be glad to see her before his features darkened substantially and his eyes clouded over. It was a side of him she’d only seen directed at his father, never at herself. “What are you doing here?” he hissed, rushing forward and grabbing her by the elbow. He pulled her a little too harshly around the far side of the bar, scowling and yelling at some of the men who were jeering at her.

“Loki, you just left…”

“I have the right!” he exclaimed. “And I did not invite you along. You shouldn’t be here! This is no place for a person like you…”

“A person like who?” she hissed, pulling her arm out of his grasp. “You barely know a thing about me Loki Odinson. Don’t pretend you know what kind of person I am.”

His frown didn’t budge, but he relented his grip and she saw him relax his shoulders the tiniest bit. It occurred to him that she was right. He didn’t know anything about her except that she was smart, witty, kind, and beautiful. He didn’t know how she thought, felt, or understood. He wanted to, but he knew it would be dangerous to know her any better than he already did. “This is a terrible idea, Darcy,” he whispered.

“You don’t know that.”

“Nothing good can happen.”

Darcy finally cracked a smile, leaning towards him and tugging gently at one of his lapels. “You don’t know that either.” She glanced around him to the man behind the bar who was watching the entire exchange with amusement. “Can I have a drink please? Whiskey. Irish. With water.”

“Yes ma’am,” Herschel smiled, taking pains to pull out one of his nicer glasses. He poured Darcy a drink, the whole time watching his friend’s movement and facial expressions. Loki said nothing, but Herschel could tell he was boiling under the surface. He just wasn’t sure if he was boiling with anger or lust...or perhaps equally parts of both.

“Can I invite you to sit miss,” Herschel said warmly, gesturing towards the empty seat on the other side of where Loki had been sitting. It was the last seat at the bar and it would help to shield her from the gaze of the room.

“Thank you,” Darcy smiled, taking her seat and her drink. “There are some gentlemen here after all.” Loki audibly sighed, the irritation only thinly veiled, and took his seat next to Darcy. They each took a few sips in silence before turning towards each other.

“What are you doing here?” he repeated.

Darcy put her glass down and licked her lips. Loki’s eyes followed and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she had him thinking of the possibilities her hasty decision presented rather than the challenges.

“I think you know why I’m here Loki,” she grinned, taking a sip.

“Feeling a bit bored were you?” he asked. He fingers traced the rim of his glass, fiddling with it. He didn’t usually ‘fiddle’ but he was nervous to be in her presence. She had caught him far, far off guard.

“Bored?” she replied, “no. Frustrated, irritated, curious, concerned, yes. I told you how I felt, I asked you not to leave, and if I can’t get you to talk to me in the presence of your family, then I will come to where you are.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” he scowled.

“Why not?” she demanded, putting her drink down heavily on the bar. “Do you not wish to be seen in such an honest position? Do you not want me to see how you truly live?”

“No,” he hissed, leaning towards her, “you shouldn’t be here because it isn’t safe. Do you see these men in this pub,” he whispered, looking around, “every single one of them wants to get you in a dark corner and take their liberties.” He immediately blushed at the frankness of his outburst. He could feel something in the pit of his stomach, something that wanted to be angry at her and kiss her at the same time.

“Well,” Darcy said, her face serious, but her eyes smiling, “there is an easy solution to that.”

“Which is?” he asked. He didn’t want to, but he felt himself softening the tiniest bit. There was so much about her that he wanted, even if he didn’t entirely want her in this part of his world.

She leaned forward into the space of his body, putting her weight on the bar rail, and lifting her chair slightly to scoot towards him. He turned to face her, spreading his legs on either side of her bar stool, without so much as a second thought. “The easy solution,” she murmured, “is to make sure that they all know you are the only one here who gets to take any liberties.” And with that, she turned back to her drink, but her right hand slowly slid over the top of Loki’s knee.

His skin came alive where she touched, even though she grazed him like a feather. He felt his muscles clenching involuntarily and he realized that even though it usually felt good when a woman touched him, it never felt like that. He felt his body twitch. “Darcy,” he said, his voice laced with warning. He slid his hand over hers and grasped it, putting some separation between the palm of her hand and his knee.

She had leaned one elbow on the bar and was turning towards him, her face leaning into his. No one could see them touching each other under the railing of the bar. “Loki,” she whispered. Loki felt himself lean into her like he was a dog that just obeyed her commands. His eyes locked on her lips, painted a rosy pink to look like they had been bitten plump and swollen. She licked them as she waited for him to move into range of her and he was transfixed. When he had finally leaned in, he realized she had turned his hand over and was playing with his fingers.

“Why are you here?” he whispered. It was no longer a demand. It was an honest question, a confused wondering, and an expression of disbelief.

“To see you,” she said softly. “Isn’t that obvious?” It wasn’t usually her style, but it occurred to her that Loki wasn’t able to see that she was making herself available to him, that she wanted to spend time with him. Even though she knew he was attracted to her, he was running away. And unfortunately, Darcy found herself with nothing better to focus on but Loki. He had her attention, whether he wanted it or not.

“Why?” he asked, and for a second she could sense the honest bewilderment in his voice. It was clear to her that the issues in his family had affected him, whether he would admit it or not.

“Because I care.”

Loki shook his head. “Don't be ridiculous.”

“I'm not, you just don't understand,” she said softly, her fingers stilling in his grasp, suddenly realizing she didn’t entirely understand either. Was it possible to fall for someone like this? Someone she barely knew, but someone she could feel through her whole body that she wanted? She wasn’t sure if he was even aware that she was still touching him. “If you did, you wouldn’t make me wait like this,” she continued.

“Make you wait?” he asked. He was surprised by the sound of his voice. He had never heard himself sound like some kind of whispy, weak thing. Darcy practically made him breathless.

“You make me wait to see you,” she said, her big blue eyes turning sad, “you make me wait to talk to you, to know you. You’re hiding from me,” she whispered. “Don’t think I can’t see it.”

“Perhaps I am simply busy,” he replied, trying to regain a little composure and power in the situation. If he wasn’t careful, he would push her onto this bar and ravage her. He pulled back slightly and took a long pull from his drink. Darcy mirrored him and it seemed obvious that they were both caught off guard by the intensity of their exchange.

“What is it that you want to talk to me about?” Loki finally asked. What more could she want than an escort around town? Maybe she wanted a little affair. Either of those would be fine with him. He could find the time, make it work.

But Darcy’s eyes darkened and she surprised him at once. She turned herself fully back to the bar and took another sip of her whiskey. She seemed to be calculating her next move. Finally, she turned to look at him and whispered in a hushed tone. “I saw you, in the alley by the cinema, with that man. Is that who he was? Is he the bookie? Are you in trouble?” She saw the anger for Odin come ablaze across his face in front of her. He opened his mouth, but she gently shushed him with a quick turn of her head. “Calm yourself. I think you know better than to cause a scene,” Darcy murmured.

Loki fumed, but he recognized that she was right. In the back of his mind he was even impressed that she knew not to attract any more attention to them than was necessary.

“You are going home Darcy,” he said quietly, getting to his feet. “You should not be here, and you should not meddle in things you don’t understand.”

“I understand far more than you think I do,” she said, looking around at who might be listening, who was paying attention.

“Because young women like yourself are familiar with bookies and gambling?” He reached out to grab ahold of her upper arm and Darcy yanked it away as subtly as she could. Then he received the cold end of a stare he hoped to never see again.

“Let’s be clear about something Loki Odinson,” she whispered, “I am not Jane. And I am not you, either. I didn’t grow up in a beautiful palatial estate with everything I could ever want laid at my feet. I know things, and I’ve done things, that make me just as able to handle this world as the one you seem so sure I fit into so well. But regardless, it will be me who decides where I go, what I do, who I see, and what I get into you. It will not be you, Erik, Jane, Thor, or Odin. I am not here to decorate someone’s parlor or make other men jealous by prancing around a garden on someone’s arm. I take interest where I see fit and,” her voice softened slightly as she came to the end of her point, “I take concern where I want to.” She locked his gaze again and he found no anger in her eyes. She was truly concerned about him and she would not have herself or her interests shoved away. It only made him want her more.

“Darcy,” he said simply, almost sounding defeated, “I cannot do what I need to do here if you insist on distracting me.”

“I don’t agree,” she objected. “You can control whatever you need to, you are just out of sorts at the moment, although I think that has more to do with the whiskey bottle you’ve been swimming in since last I saw you.

His whole face gave away his surprise. “How can you know…”

“Its in your eyes Loki,” she sighed. “Clear as day.”

“What?”

“You’re dehydrated and you’ve got the shakes, I’m not an unfamiliar with this particular situation.”

“I don’t understand…” A slow realization grew in the corner of his mind. Darcy Lewis was much more complex than he had originally realized.

“I’ve seen men drink, Loki,” she murmured, taking a final sip from her glass. “I’ve seen them drink far more than you, and I’ve seen them do far worse then get jammed up with a bookie.” She smoothed her dress over her lap and turned towards him. “I’m going to the ladies, or whatever is closest to it, and when I am back we are going to have a conversation.” She stood up and at that moment Herschel appeared at the bar.

“Herschel,” Loki said, standing up behind Darcy, “would you mind showing Darcy to the private, um, facility?” He didn’t want her going to the back rooms and he was lucky enough to be able to ask.

“Of course,” Herschel smiled, gesturing towards his office door at the end of the bar, “anything for a friend of Loki’s.” He ushered Darcy through the door and pointed to the second door at the far end of the office. As soon as she was ensconced, he sped back to Loki, who was reaching over the bar to refill his beer mug at the tap.

“Who is THAT?” Herschel exclaimed, a wide smile stretching across his face. Loki had looked as though he wanted to pounce her through half of their exchange and Herschel would be quick to admit that she was well worth pouncing. She was bloody gorgeous.

Loki sighed and shook his hand, shaking beer foam off his fingers. “That is Erik’s niece Darcy. She arrived from Chicago two months ago.”

“She bloody fit, Loki!” he exclaimed. “How have you kept yourself away from her? She’s clearly interested…”

“I am well aware that she is extremely beautiful and that she has expressed a certain interest. But I just...can’t. I can’t get someone like her wrapped up with someone like me.”

Herschel scowled. Loki was determined to be miserable. “I think you’re making too much of it mate. You don’t know that this bloke...what was his name?”

“Crawford.”

“You don’t know what else he’s going to ask you to do. What if just wants you to do your little note taking on people. There is no reason you can’t do that, get a little house near the park, and have a nice little honeypot in your bed to keep you warm.” Herschel smiled as he picked up a glass and started to polish it. Loki was allergic to a traditional life, but Herschel also suspected he craved it. What he wanted, more than anything, was a family where he truly felt at home. “Loki,” Herschel sighed, “don’t make it so hard for yourself.”

“You think I’m making it hard?” he replied, his indignation suddenly rising to the surface.

Herschel merely stood in front of his stifling a smile. “No,” he said, shaking his head, “if I had to wager, I’d say Miss Darcy is the one making it hard.” He gave Loki a knowing grin that only provoked a groan and a thudding of his head onto the bar.

“You have no idea,” Loki moaned.

“Of course I do,” Herschel sighed. “You’re so dramatic. You aren’t the first man who wanted to fuck a woman, but you are the first bloke I’ve come across that would willing throw up a wall between himself and a creature like that.”

Herschel had to leave Loki with this thoughts as he was called away by a barmaid, and Loki took the opportunity to gaze off across the bar and settle his thoughts. Yes he wanted Darcy, but he had no idea what Crawford’s plans were for him. He’d suspected for sometime that the intelligence service would come after him again. They didn’t just let men like Loki walk away, not knowing what he knew and having done what he’d done. They would find a way to wrap him back up whether he wanted it or not and Odin’s secrets seemed the perfect instrument.

But if he got involved with Darcy, then she would be a perfect instrument as well.

 

Loki stared off across bar and nursed his pint, waiting for Darcy to return to his side. He resolved that he would escort her straight out the front door and into a waiting carriage. She may have one a battle tonight, but he could not give in. She could not be seen with him in public or get involved in his work.

He was so involved in his own thoughts, he didn’t realize what was going on behind him until he heard a gruff voice croak loudly that his wife’s sisters was a disgusting cunt he would rather leave in the gutter to die. Loki rolled his eyes, but felt his heart stop in chest when the immediate reaction to the man’s exclamation was the voice of Darcy Lewis.

“Oh sir, I’m sure there is something about your sister’s wife that is redeemable.”

Loki swirled around on his stool and realized that Darcy was now engaged at a small table with two drunk factory workers, one of whom was leering at her over a pint glass.

“No, you little Italian minx,” the drunker of the two men slurred, “she’s as ugly as an ole shoe. There’s nothing sweet about her. But you,” he smiled, leaning closer, “I’m sure your cunny is as sweet as cream…”

“You disgusting tits,” Loki hissed, launching himself from the bar stool. “How dare you speak to her…”

“Loki, it’s ok,” Darcy cooed, holding his arm and directing him back to his seat. She gave her new friends a smile before turning back to Loki. “I don’t have anything that these men can take from me.”

“Darcy, these men are drunk…”

“So am I, a little anyways,” she protested. “Please Loki, I’m not so fragile. This is funny.” She gave him a small smile and he saw the amusement dancing in her eyes. Finally, a bit of excitement for her after weeks of boredom. Loki huffed and turned away from her, not at all content to watch her interact these men. He wasn’t even sure why she’d stopped at their table.

“So, you say ‘cunny,’” Darcy smiled, taking a sip of her whiskey, “how sweet. It rhymes with honey.”

“Ay, lass,” said the smaller man at the table, “and what would the Italian boys be saying to your pretty self there in Chicago?” Loki scowled. How long had she been sitting there talking to them?

“Oh,” Darcy said, turning towards them, “do you really want to know? Repeat after me.” She smiled knowingly at them and Loki couple help but smirk into his beer. This was the most exciting thing that had happened to these two idiots all month.

“Are you ready,” she whispered. “Watch my mouth…” They leaned forward on their chairs; their attention rapt. “Fi-ca.”

“Fi-ca,” they repeated.

“That’s good,” she encouraged, licking her lips and smiling at them again. “Once more. Fi-ca.”

“Fi-ca,” they said slowly, drawing out the syllable.

“Now,” Darcy whispered conspiratorially, “the next time you are trying to sweet talk a girl, give her a big smile and tell her she has a fica deliciosa.”

“What!” the shorter man exclaimed, sitting up right. He blushed furiously and took a swig of his beer. There was no mistaking Darcy’s meaning.

“Oh its lovely, don’t you think. Your word rhymes with honey and my word comes from the same word as fig. So there you have it, every girl is perfectly sweet in her own way.” Darcy smiled at them and batted her lashes. Loki chuckled and ducked his head. Who was this woman? She engaged drunk pub rats, argued with him, took off willy nilly into dangerous parts of town, and did all of it with a smile?

The men were still sputtering so Darcy continued. “Don’t you think, when just the words make you think of figs and honey, that there is no way you could use such expressions to insult a woman? Even if she was a terrible bitch, it makes no sense to call her something so lovely and pleasing.” She narrowed her eyes as the men swallowed and blushed in front of her. Point taken.

Unfortunately, she also sensed Loki hovering behind her. She watched him swallow the rest of the beer and toss his glass down on the bar. He grabbed her wrist and gently tugged her into his frame.

“Time to leave” he said, pulling her towards the door.

“Where are we going?” she whispered. Hopefully they were going back to his place.

“Home.”

“Your home?” she grinned.

“No,” he scowled, turning around on her with a severe look, “yours.”

“But I don’t want to go home,” she pouted.

“We rarely get what we want.”

“Just one more drink,” she smiled, reaching out to smooth her hand down his arm. Loki sighed and rubbed his forehead. She was very hard to say no to.

***********

They were in the office. Loki was reclined in the chair, Darcy was smiling and standing too far away. “Lift your skirt,” he said, his voice a low growl with a hungry grin. “Show me your fig.” He smiled more broadly and took a sip from his glass.

“It’s fica,” she said slowly, “not fig.” She was teasing him, but her skirts were inching up. When they slipped past her knees, she slowed down.

“Why do you want to see my fica, Loki?” she asked innocently, biting her lip.

He smiled, crossing his legs as to not reveal to her just how much he wanted to see her fica. It hurt to do so, but it was essential to maintaining an upper hand. “I want to know how it smells,” he replied casually, flipping an unlit cigarette around his fingers.

“You don’t want to feel how soft it is?” she asked quietly.

“Yes. But first, I want to smell it. See it.”

“What do you think it will look like?”

Loki swallowed, didn’t reply.

“Well it goes without saying it is pretty and pink,” she smiled again, this time biting her lips. She came to stand right in front of him. “And right now...it’s a little bit wet.”

Again, he didn’t respond. His eyes stayed trained on the triangle between her legs, waiting for the skirts to go just a bit higher.

Darcy hummed, swaying her hips. “Actually,” she whispered, “more than a little bit. My fica is nice and ripe for you.” She squeezed her thighs together. He took a deep breath in reply and said nothing in return.

“Did you hear me,” she whispered, leaning over till her lips tickled his ear. “I said, my pussy is soaking wet for you Loki. Dripping. Warm. Sweet.” Her breath wafted over his skin and he felt a shiver run down his back.

The next thing he knew, she was walking away from him, the skirt still inching its way up her thighs. She backed herself up against the desk on the far wall, taking a minute to look behind her. Finding it largely empty, she eased herself onto the table top. She kept her legs spread and the skirt hiked up as far as it could go and not show Loki what was underneath. It occurred to him that if she was wearing any kind of bloomers, he would have seen them by now. His face flushed and his cocked throbbed at the thought. Darcy had sat at the fucking bar and discussed cunts with two drunkards whilst not wearing a scrap of knickers.

Loki shifted in his chair. She wasn’t wearing a scrap of knickers now either. She was watching him. “Come closer,” she whispered, spreading her legs a bit, but not nearly enough. Loki did as he was told, dragging the chair across the floor until he was seated in front of her. Darcy leaned back on her elbows and opened her legs further. All he had to do was lift her from behind her knees and he could open her up like a ripe piece of fruit. He could already smell her.

“Loki,” she moaned, dropping her head back and lifting her hips towards him, “don’t you want a taste?”

Loki felt his eyes drift open at the sound of a dog barking below his window. In the back of his mind, he heard a voice speaking softly and slowly passing into silence. It was a woman’s voice, but he couldn’t quite make out the words…

His eyes flew open. It was Darcy’s voice. He had been dreaming about Darcy. She was taunting him, inviting him. He was about to pusher her skirts up and bury his face in her.

He felt a stab of something deep in his gut. He rolled onto his back, lifting his hips and hissing as his sensitive cock scraped against the not-so-soft fabric of the sheet. He was hard, painfully, and all he could do was hear her voice and the promise of her open legs and soaking cunt. He kicked the sheet off his lower body and growled. He wasn’t an adolescent. He hadn’t woken in this condition in the middle of the night in years. If the dog hadn’t happened by, he probably would have cum in his sheets. He would have a nice time explaining that to Ida.

He took deep breaths and readied himself to the task at hand, there was no way he could just roll over and go to sleep. He spit in his palm and wrapped his hand around his cock. He was hot to the touch, dripping a thin strand of liquid onto his stomach. He knew, somehow instinctively, that the sheet would be a bit damp too. The Darcy in his dreams drove him crazy. Darcy in real life drove him crazy. Her words echoed through his head as he began to pump his shaft.

_My pussy is soaking wet for you Loki._

_Dripping._

_Warm._

_Sweet._

The idea of Darcy splayed out on the table top with her skirts at her waist and her perfect pink quim on display would be more than enough for him. He sat up against his headboard and bent his legs, settling in. At first he thought he would need a quick, hard wank to get back to sleep. But now, the dream was coming back to him, and he wanted to enjoy it.

He took his time, running his fingertips up and down his shaft, just as she might if she ever got to greet his cock. Hers would of course be smaller and softer, and he hoped she would be whispering in his ears. He could almost hear her voice.

_You have a nice big cock Loki. Beautiful and thick._

_I want it in my mouth._

_I want it in my hands._

_I want it inside me._

Oh, he thought as he tightened his grip, Darcy’s pussy must be a wonderful thing. He wanted it pink and swollen with her arousal, plump and wet. He imagined it surrounded by creamy thighs and round hips, and an ass he could hold on to while he fucked her with his tongue, that he could fill his palms with as she rode him. Just the thought of her taste on his lips made his cock twitch in his hand and drip onto his stomach. He stroked himself faster, whimpering her name as quietly as he could.

_Don’t you want a taste?_

God he wanted a taste. His tongue flexed in his mouth, wanting to lick. She was driving him to distraction. The thought of her sitting at that bar made him realize he would get on his knees and shove his head up her skirts anywhere. He could have done it at the cinema if he’d been able to take her. He pictured Darcy with her legs up on the seats in front of her, Loki crouched between her thighs, moaning his name, never mind the other patrons. She could wrap her little hands around the back of his head, gripping his hair, and shove his face into her seeping cunt. He would lick and suck and nibble until he came in his pants and she came so hard she filled his mouth with her juices. From the floor of the cinema, sunk down in those velvet seats, he wouldn’t see or hear anything but Darcy.

Or he could take her in a dark corner of Odin’s house. He wouldn’t care if she broke Ming vases or her screams scandalized the maids. He would tickle her clit with his tongue and fuck her with his fingers till she came so many times she could no longer stand. He could take her for a walk in the garden, lay her down, and kiss her pussy amongst the snapdragons until she roared fire for him.

But that wasn’t all he wanted. His stopped his stroking long enough to wrap his palm around the dripping tip of his cock, purple and anxious to burst. His other hand slid down to cup his balls and he squeezed both in rhythm. Fluid filled his palm and he knew that he had denied himself this for too long. He should have wanked himself off the first night he met her and every night since. He’d been trying to forget about her, but he knew now that was impossible. He clenched his ass as tight as he could, desperate not to cum, desperate not to let her go just yet.

He would like to play just the tip with her. It was a game he’d learned in Amsterdam from some of the shop girls. They didn’t want to have sex with the soldiers, no babies, no germs. But they could do quite a lot with just the tip. Just that ring of tight muscle at the entrance of a beautiful cunt, strong and slippery. Just to feel the opening of Darcy’s quim squeezing the head of his cock would make him pull back and spill ribbons of cum all over those wet pink petals.

The thought of cumming on Darcy’s pink little fica was too much for him. He felt his balls seize up in his palm and his hips thrust up into his grip. God he needed to fuck, but he only wanted to fuck her. He had no interest in any of his usual conquests. Only her. Only Darcy.

He stroked himself in earnest now, panting and whimpering out her name. Please, he thought, let all of this end. Let me find some solution. Let me have the chance to make love to her once before I have to go. Just one night with Darcy Lewis, one night inside her, one night to feel her velvet walls crashing around him, milking his cock, moaning his name. Feel her hands and her hot breath, smell her sweet smell, bury his face in those breasts. Hold her, touch her, love her.

He came to that small dream, not the thought of her hot pussy or her soft breasts. He wanted his face buried in her neck, wrapped in her arms, his cock spent inside her, the sound of her voice, their juices spread over his thighs. He wanted her moans and whimpers, the sound of her cumming on his cock or in his mouth. Hot ropes of cum shot across his chest and he felt his balls pulsing in his hand as he emptied himself. It had been too long, he denied himself too much. He needed her too badly.

His body cooled quickly in the night air. Deep gasping breaths helped the tingling in his cock and the ache in his balls disperse across his body. He felt it down to his toes. He let himself lay still for a few moments and enjoy the aftershocks of a devastating orgasm. He could only imagine if it had been her instead of his own hand. What damage could they do to each other? What if he had stayed for one more drink, if he hadn’t put her in that carriage. What if he had taken her into Herschel’s office. If he gave in, he probably would have just fucked her against the wall and that wasn’t what he really wanted. He wanted one, long, endless night in bed with her. All of her skin and sweetness and silkiness his for the taking.

He crossed the room and bent over the washbowl in the corner. As he wiped himself clean, he realized he would have to add another variable to the plan. He had to have her. There was no denying it any longer. He couldn’t leave England without having her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mega-chapter, but it has been a while since I updated. Apologies :).

Darcy grinned to herself as she got out of the carriage on Camden High Street. It was a beautiful spring day, it was market day, and she had somehow managed to escape the house without Jane or the housekeeper pestering her. Eric was off in his own world and Jane had a headache and wanted to lie down. No one even noticed when she’d slipped away, leaving a quick note on the sideboard in the foyer.

The high street was bustling with people and market stalls. It was noisy and crowded, just the way Darcy liked it. It finally reminded her of living in a city as opposed to the overly groomed and scrubbed ‘oasis’ of West London. She wandered a few blocks, familiarizing herself with the terrain, noting the criss-crossing streets, and turned her face up to the sun. Yes, she had come with the purpose of looking for Loki, but a little time spent wandering would suit her just fine as well.

It had been at least two weeks since she saw him last. He was avoiding her, or his family, or both. She didn’t really have the patience for this nonsense so she decided that if he would not come to her, she would happily go to him. She knew he wanted her, she wanted him, and this whole avoidance business was ridiculous. 

Darcy was pretty good at getting what she wanted. She hadn’t grown up in the comforts that Eric had been able to provide for Jane; she learned early to smile and cajole and twist every which way to bend a seemingly immovable situation to her will. She’d always been able to get her brother to do anything for her. He was the one she missed the most when she felt lonely in Eric’s big, cold house and Odin’s big, empty world.

She wandered around the markets, taking in textiles and small crafts, fruits and vegetables. Certain scenes reminded her of Chicago. Mostly it was the children. Hungry children look the same everywhere, standing on corners, eyeing the food on the tables, their dirty little clothes just a bit too loose. She hated to see them and was just looking in her purse to see how much money she had to buy them a few pieces of fruit when she heard a commotion behind her.

An large angry man had a little boy by the upper arm. He was shaking and yelling and the boy looked a far too small to really be treated so roughly. He was already turning red in the face, on the verge of tears, but Darcy could see he was trying to be tough. Clutched in his hand was a chocolate bar, which the older man roughly snatched from him.

Darcy didn’t even to stop and think if she should intervene. She stepped forward, calling for the man to stop.

“Sir, please,” she reasoned, “let the child go.”

“He’s a thief!” the older man spit. He turned quickly to Darcy and when he saw her fine dress he stood a bit straighter. Darcy knew her position gave her power here; women dressed like her didn’t come around Camden Town very often.

“No he is not,” Darcy smiled at the man, moving to open her purse. “He’s simply a bit too excited.” She looked down at the dark haired little boy, he couldn’t have been more than four years old, and smiled. The boy looked at her wearingly, but she could see his body relax. “I did promise him a chocolate and he was just too happy to wait. Please let me pay for it now.” She opened her purse and pulled out a coin, but paused before putting it the man’s hand. “Actually,” she continued, eyeing his market stall, “let me see what else you have that we might be interested in.”

The man let the child go and stepped back to usher Darcy to his tables. She quickly took the child by the hand and pulled him along with her. She bent over to whisper in his ear. “Eat your chocolate, but don’t run off.” She pulled the bar from his hand and tore it open as he grasped onto her skirt with a free hand. Then she began to peruse the table, a happy little boy trailing after her munching away at his candy.

Loki looked up from his place at the far side of the street and did a quick double take. Darcy Lewis was shopping in the market with some small urchin clinging to her skirts, his face covered in melted chocolate. Loki immediately furrowed his brow. She shouldn’t be here, in this place, and how had she come to acquire her little side kick. Loki recognized the child; he belonged to one of the girls Ida so carefully looked after.

He threw his cigarette in the street and looked the other way. The trade unionist was at the far end of the market with his family. Loki had thought it would be good to follow him on a day he wasn’t at work and now he wished he hadn’t. It didn’t help him to see the man with his wife and children, in fact it made it worse. There wasn’t anything else he wanted to see, so he turned on his heel and sauntered off into the market after Darcy.

“We’ll take a bit of the fruit,” she said, pointing at a basket overflowing with apples, until she felt a small tug on her skirt. The child looked at another basket filled with plums and smiled. “And a few plums as well,” she grinned. She steadily filled a basket with fruit, bread, cheese, vegetables, much to the delight of the previously angry grocer. Her intention was to take the child home and bring the food with her. It was clear from his appearance that his family could probably do with the extra help. 

“Darcy,” she heard from over her shoulder, and a shiver crept down her spine. She had gotten distracted, but he found her nonetheless.  She felt him stand at her back, perhaps closer than might be decent, but she smiled as she realized they weren’t exactly in the most decent part of town. She didn’t have to worry about being ‘unladylike’ out on her own and they didn’t have to worry about being seen together. 

“Loki,” she smiled, handing over money to the grocer.

“What are you doing here?” he said, his voice laced with a bit of irritation and a bit of amusement.

“Exploring,” she smiled, reaching down to grab the little hand that was still buried in her skirts. She picked up the heavy basket with her free hand and turned quickly, depositing it in Loki’s arms. “Here,” she huffed, lifting the heavy load, “make yourself useful.”

She walked quickly to the edge of the market, before bending down to pull a tissue from her purse and wipe off the child’s face.

“Now,” she said, looking the little boy in the eye, “it is a good idea or a bad idea to steal chocolate bars?”

“A bad idea,” he whispered.

“What would have happened if I hadn’t come along to pay for it?”

“He would have hurt me."

“That’s right,” Darcy nodded. The child was now avoiding her eyes. “Listen here,” she said, grabbing his chin, “if you are hungry, go ahead and steal. Just don’t get caught. You have to be smart about it. And don’t steal candy. It tastes good, but you’ll still be hungry.”

Loki’s brow shot up. That was not the line he expected to hear from her and clearly it wasn’t from the child either. He smiled a chocolate, toothy grin at Darcy and giggled. “Ok,” she said, standing back up, “where do you live? Let’s take this home with you.”

“I know where he lives,” Loki said, looking down at the little boy. He winked at the kid and turned down the street, motioning the direction with his head.

The basket was heavy and the day was warm, so they didn’t bother to walk quickly or with much purpose. The little boy ran ahead of them and came back, clearly working off his sugar high. Darcy smiled as Loki steered them down a rather empty street. It made it easier to talk.

“I haven’t seen you recently,” she said, turning to eye him carefully. “You have a habit of disappearing.”

“I’ve been busy,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“I suppose I have to accept that excuse,” she sighed, looking away, “although I find it a bit tired.”

“Tired?” he smiled, “is that an American expression?”

“If you’ve never heard it then I suppose it is,” she mused, biting her lip. “Should I explain?”

Loki smirked at the small child who was spinning in circles a few yards ahead of them before running back to Darcy and then galloping away. She had certainly made a new friend. “I would guess that it means you find my reasons a bit plain.”

“It means I’ve heard it before and it isn’t quite good enough to pass muster,” she said. “You are avoiding me. 

Loki stopped walking and turned to her. She arched one eyebrow and stared back. He couldn’t quite think of what to say and he felt his cheeks colour slightly at the realization that she had caught him off guard. That never happened.

“Why did you tell the boy to steal?” he asked suddenly, remembering that changing the subject would work just as well.

“Because he was hungry,” she replied, as if the answer was obvious. “And I have a feeling his family cannot afford to feed themselves properly.”

“Yes,” Loki nodded, turning to continue their walk back down the street. “But is it not wrong to steal?”

“It is wrong to let children go hungry,” Darcy said firmly. “I’m not sure stealing is as great a moral concern as that.”

Loki stopped in his tracks again, shifting the bundle in his arms. “You are shocking Darcy Lewis,” he said.

“Have I offended you?” she replied with a sweet smile.

“Not in the slightest.”

“Good,” she smiled, turning back to the little boy who was now at her feet babbling about how he liked to pretend he was a pony and would she watch him gallop like he was at the races. “Yes,” she smiled, “you gallop to the end of the lane and wait for us.”

“Ok miss!” he cried, “Ok Loki!”

She stood back up with a raised eyebrow. “He knows you?”

“Yes,” Loki replied, suddenly concerned that he had to explain the nature of his acquaintance with the child. “You were wrong about his family,” he said, clearly uncomfortable. “He does not really have one, only his mother, and she is a prostitute.”

“I see,” Darcy said, drawing the word out. “And are you afraid I am offended by prostitutes? You are blushing Loki.” She smiled at his obvious discomfort. Then something occurred to her that clouded her mind slightly. “Unless you are trying to tell me that he is yours.”

“What?” Loki exclaimed, “no, absolutely not, I do not know his mother…in that way.”

“Well that’s good to hear,” Darcy exhaled. “Otherwise, I don’t really have a problem with prostitutes or their children. Men who abuse women as such, that I take issue with. But I know full well that you have too much character to include yourself in their company.”

They were now strolling down the street at a relaxed saunter and Loki couldn’t help but notice that without realizing it, Darcy Lewis now had him in the position of explaining part of his hidden life.

“Darcy,” he said quietly, “in absolute honesty, I would not count myself among those men who make use of women in that way. It is not a good life for them, and I would not seek to contribute to their woes.” He wasn’t lying. Loki Odinson had never had to pay for it in his life, which was something he was more than a little bit proud of.

“Then how is it that you know this child’s mother? What kind of life do you have here Loki?” Darcy pushed as hard as she dared, because that was what she really wanted to know.

Loki cleared his throat as they turned the corner. The child was waiting anxiously for his praise from the pretty young woman who had bought him chocolate and now that he had worn off his chocolate, he felt a bit tired. He smiled sleepily as she congratulated him on his galloping and then he yawned loudly in her face. She was so kind she only smiled and lifted him into her arms. As they continued to walk, he couldn’t help but notice that she was very soft and warm and smelled nice, so he laid his head on her shoulder and let his eyes close.

“You are not unfamiliar with poverty,” Loki observed. He had never seen a woman in as fine a dress willingly pick up a dirty, soiled child and cradle him in her arms.

“No I am not,” she said quietly. Her face was set in a firm line as she rubbed the child’s back and Loki felt a flood of warmth move through him. She was marvellous in more ways than he could possibly know. He shifted the basket under his arm and wrapped his free hand around her waist, pulling her into his side. 

“Just another bit,” he said quietly. “After we leave him, I promise I will tell you some of things you wish to know.” **  
**

Darcy was very happy to sit back at the familiar pub with a cold glass of beer. The afternoon was warm and carrying a sleeping child several blocks had warmed her through and through. Loki had knocked swiftly at the door of what Darcy could only guess was a brothel. The woman at the door had collected the basket and another had taken the child. They paused briefly to thank them and then the door shut swiftly. Darcy knew well enough that it wasn’t a good idea for patrons to see them passing a child through the door. 

“Those women know you,” Darcy smiled, watching closely as Loki took a long sip of his beer.

He sighed and put his glass down. He reached across the table and took her hand, absentmindedly playing with her fingers as he resolved himself to tell her as much of the story as he felt he could.

“When I was in the war,” he began, watching as she perked up and shifted in her seat, “I had a very close friend who was from this part of town.”

“You worked with him in logistics?” she asked.

“Yes, but he was in the field at the end,” Loki said, his face turning grim. “He died there.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, squeezing his fingers.

“His mother was...of the profession,” Loki continued, still not looking Darcy in the face, “he grew up much like that child you were so kind to. He and I used to come to Camden on our leave and stay with his mother, who had worked her way out of the trade some years before. She is the kindest woman I know, after my own mother, and now that he is gone, I see to her welfare and she sees to the care of those woman. I often make deliveries for her or see after things for them, doctors and such.”

When he finally looked up, he was taken aback by the way that Darcy was looking at him. Her coy look was gone, as was the underlying hint of seduction that always seemed to be lingering at the back of her eyes. No enticement, no flirting, no games. Her eyes were shining and clear, her lips were pressed in a timid smile. She stood slowly and leaned towards him and before he knew it, her lips were pressed softly against his cheek.

“I knew you were a good man Loki Odinson,” she whispered. “You don’t have to try so hard to be something else.”

Then she sat back down and covered their clasped fingers with her other hands. “You feel more comfortable here than at your father’s house?” she asked.

He nodded wordlessly, not quite ready to explain his reasons.

“Me too,” she said quietly. Then she leaned forward over the table and looked up at him through her impossibly long lashes with her endlessly blue eyes. “Tell me more,” she asked urgently.

He realized that he was in unfamiliar terrain in more ways than one. Darcy now knew more about him than he knew about her. He was about to respond that she should tell him something, when Herschel came through the office door, banging his way into the pub.

“Oy!” he shouted, catching Loki’s eye across the pub, “I haven’t see you in days you wanker!” He bounded across the floor, happy to see his friend, and stopped suddenly when he saw the proper lady sitting in the booth with Loki and holding his hand no less.

“Oh, my apologies, miss,” Herschel said, pulling his waistcoat down and straightening himself slightly. He shot Loki an embarrassed look that just made Loki smile and chuckle at his best friend.

“Darcy,” Loki said warmly, “I don’t believe you were properly introduced to the proprietor of this establishment when you were last here. Darcy Lewis, may I introduce Mr. Herschel Levin, a very great friend of mine.”

Darcy let go of Loki and stretched her hand out to Herschel. “My pleasure,” she smiled.

Herschel gave Loki an evil grin and grasped Darcy’s hand, pulling it to his lips for a quick kiss. “The pleasure is mine,” he smiled. Then he stepped forward and held her hand to his chest. “Is this brute of a man entertaining you, or would you rather be enthralled with the tales of a merry tavern keeper.”

Loki rolled his eyes, something he had picked up from Camden Town, and stood up abruptly. “You may have a few minutes to try and win her over my friend,” he smiled, clapping Herschel on the back, “but only while I refill our drinks.”

“Help yourself” Herschel smiled, ushering Loki out of the booth. “But why not fetch your guest some of the good stuff from the office rather than that swill on tap.”

Darcy smiled at Loki as he turned away and then back to Herschel as he offered her a cigarette. She didn’t partake too often, but she was eager for him to like her. He would most likely be a good source of information.

“Tell me Herschel,” she said, as she settled back with her cigarette, “how long have you and Loki been acquainted?"

“Years,” he said, lighting his own cigarette and dropping a match in Loki’s empty glass.

“He mentioned his friend from the army, were you acquainted with him as well? Is that how you came to know each other?

Herschel smiled around his cigarette. She was sharp and on point, a perfect girl for Loki, he could see that a mile away. “Yes,” he said a bit wistfully as he tapped the ash of his cigarette into the glass. “Daniel and I were friends since we were little boys.” 

“I am sorry for your loss,” Darcy said quietly with a small frown. It was obvious that whoever this Daniel was, he had meant a great deal to both Loki and Herschel. 

“Thank you,” Herschel replied, hand over his heart and his head bowed. “You are very curious about my friend,” he said with a knowing smile.

“You may have been able to guess,” she replied, squirming a bit in her seat, “that I am new to this country. There are not many opportunities to make interesting acquaintances.”

“Aye,” Herschel nodded, “and Loki is definitely interesting.”

“I agree,” she smiled. “I have learned a great deal today, just strolling with him around the streets and I have to say I like what I have learned.”

“Of Camden or of him?” Herschel asked.

“Both,” she grinned. “I can see why he prefers this community to his own.”

“Ah,” Herschel grinned, “this is his community, or so I’d say. I am, however, surprised to see a fine lady like yourself comfortable here.” He took another drag from his cigarette and regarded Darcy with a sceptical eye.

“I was raised on the west side of Chicago, Mr. Levin,” she replied, dropping the bit of her cigarette in the empty glass, “I am more accustomed to the life of Camden than that of Marlybone.”

“And you wish to know it better, with him at your side.” Herschel narrowed his eyes. He would flesh her out a bit before he gave too much away.

“I think I do,” she said, jutting her chin up in the air and returning his stare. Herschel smiled.

“Not too many young women would come around here as you have,” he said. “Especially chasing after him the other night as you did.”

“I was worried,” she said softly, looking back across the pub. Loki had emerged from the office, but was stuck in a conversation with another man at the bar.

“About what?” Herschel asked, pulling another cigarette from his case. Darcy let out a long breath and observed him across the table. She did not sense any falseness or misdirection from him. His affection for Loki was true.

“Mr. Levin,” she began.

“Please call me Herschel,” he shrugged, lighting his cigarette.

“Herschel,” she started again, “can I be honest with you? Can I divulged something I have not yet brought up with Loki?”

“Aye,” he nodded, “but I won’t promise to keep it to myself.”

Darcy pursed her lips and then gave him a slight, sharp nod, agreeing to his conditions. “I have been concerned for his safety ever since I saw Loki with that bookie…”

“Which bookie?” Herschel asked, his face contorting in confusion.

“The older one, moustache, clearly trying to intimidate him.” Darcy was now speaking in hushed whispers, her voice clearly betraying her concern.

“Where?” He leaned forward across the table so he could hear her better.

“Outside the cinema on Clerkenwall.”

Herschel leaned back in the booth and smiled “Darcy, darling, I’m the bookie, and I’m a very nice one, but I don’t loiter in alleys on Clerkenwall.” He took a long drag off his cigarette and watched her carefully. If she felt anything other than surprise at his admission, she didn’t let it show.

Instead she looked confused “And Loki doesn’t owe you money?”

Herschel shook his head.

“But his father said…”

“I think you know perfectly well that Odin knows very little truth about his son’s life,” Herschel told her, his voice clearly telling her what she wanted to know. “Loki never owes me money because he never gambles.”

Darcy sat back in her seat, satisfied with the conversation. She had a feeling that Loki let his father believe he was living a debauched life, but Darcy knew now it was total fabrication. The question was why. “Who was the man?” she asked casually, trying to look distracted by the vision of Loki smiling at her across the pub.

Herschel shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Loki was now making his way back, carefully caring three pints of beer. “I think he’s in trouble,” she said quietly, her eyes lighting up and a smile spreading across her face as Loki approached.

Herschel smirked. She was very good, he thought to himself. Too bad Loki would never let her work for him. “Loki can handle himself,” he said calmly, “and I would say that you should stay out of it or else you are likely to be the one in trouble.”

The three of them passed another hour in sordid conversation. Once Herschel realized that Darcy had quite a thick skin, he turned on his bawdiest jokes for her amusement. Loki was mortified initially, but then he found himself enjoying the way she laughed, how her skin flushed and her eyes brightened. For Darcy’s part, she finally felt like she was around real people again.

As the pub started to fill with the men getting off work, Loki decided it was time for them to take their leave. Herschel didn’t miss the opportunity to give her another kiss and a wiggle of his eyebrow, but he also noticed the way she tucked herself into Loki’s side as he eased her through the crowd and out the front door.

They walked back to the high street in relative silence. When they arrived at the busy intersection, Darcy pulled him in with her smiles and beguiling eyes.

“I don’t want to wait two weeks to see you again Loki,” she smiled. “You cannot possibly be so busy that you cannot come and take me for an outing in Regent’s Park.  You did promise.”

“I did,” he smiled. It dawned on him that there was no reason why he could not enjoy the time he had to spend with Darcy. Soon enough he would have to leave, and leave her behind, but until then, she was available and willing. He glanced around himself quickly, about to tell her that he would call on her the day after next, when suddenly he found a pair of dark eyes watching him from a nearby stoop.

“Darcy,” he said, his voice turning harder as he didn’t even bother to try and find her eyes, “it is time for you to go home.”

“Loki…” she protested immediately.

“No,” he said, his whole body turning hard in front of her eyes. He suddenly seemed massive, towering over her, his grip on her forearm tightening just enough to communicate his seriousness. Finally he tore his gaze away from whatever was over her shoulder, and locked eyes with her. She saw him softened a bit and he lowered his head down to her slightly, speaking to her in a quieter tone. “Darcy,” he pleaded, “when we are in Camden, and I tell you it is time to go, I need you to listen to me. Please.”

“Ok,” she whispered. She desperately wanted to kiss him, tell him she wasn’t mad, remind him that he was always welcome with her. She wanted his affection, wanted to be affectionate with him, but instead what she got was a tug on her elbow and the sound of Loki whistling down a carriage. 

She did hazard a glance over her shoulder as he opened the carriage door and out of the corner of her eye she could see the moustached man turning a corner into an alley on the far side of the street. She let him put her in the carriage, heard him tell the driver to take her to Marlybone. She finally looked back at him when she heard the door click.

“I will see you again soon Darcy,” he said quietly. And then they were both gone.

*********************

Darcy flung herself over in bed and stared at the ceiling. Her eyes had long ago adjusted to the dark and she knew it was after midnight. It was late, but not so late that morning was close at hand. She could not sleep for thinking of Loki, and she would not be relieved of the torment anytime soon.

She was incredibly frustrated with him. She growled in anger and sat up in bed, tossing her pillows behind her and climbing out of bed. She began to pace. If there was one plus side of Erik’s large and lonely house, it was that when you needed some privacy you could have it. And right now, she needed to think what to do about the annoying and angst ridden second son.

She didn’t know what else she could do. She now felt secure in the fact that Loki wanted her as much as she wanted him. That even there had been a little crack in the overall infallible façade. She saw a bit of him, the better man than anyone in his family knew. She had been hoping the day would end quite differently than it had. She was quite sure that if it hadn’t been for that most unwanted man haunting Loki’s footsteps, she could have enticed him to push her up against the building and kiss her till she could barely breath. All afternoon it had been little touches and brushing fingers and thighs. She had even opened the door with the kiss on his cheek. She wanted to feel breathless because of him, pressed up against his chest, his hands roaming her body, his lips bruising hers with kisses.

Darcy threw herself over the edge of her bed, letting her feet trail on the floor. She stretched her body, taking deep breaths and trying to melt into the bed to and relax. She arched her back down, pressing her spine into the mattress and lifted her pelvis. The second she contracted those muscles, she knew exactly what the problem was.

Darcy knew now that her attraction to him had gone further than she intended. She wasn’t just interested in Loki for a bit of fun. It wasn’t just intrigue and diversion she craved. She found him extremely handsome, he was the most interesting person she’d come across ever, and she wanted to be important to him. She wanted to be first in his mind, she wanted him begging her the way she felt like begging him. She had never thought of herself as Mrs anybody, but she would think about it for him. She couldn’t picture that life with anyone, but she could see some parts of that life with Loki. Specifically, she could picture the parts that involved tongues and sighs and fingers. She knew she had his attention, or at least she thought she did. There were no other women that she knew of, although she couldn’t understand why. You had to be blind not to see how amazing he was. The mysterious bad boy bit added to it, definitely, but without it Loki would still have been a stunningly handsome man. Thor was big and burly, but Loki was...how to describe it. Long. Lean. Tight. Hard.

She closed her eyes and pictured him hard. She saw him in her mind standing in front of her, completely clothed. He was all smooth lines and perfect contours: muscles, cheekbones, broad shoulders, long legs. Everything smooth and elegant, except...that thick, straining length at his center. It ruined the beautiful line of his pants. It crept up, swelling uncontrollably right in front of her. She could see the outline of his length, substantial as it was, and then the subtle, fine ridge that was likely pulling back to reveal a perfectly plump, hopefully weeping, tip that would be a very fine little treat to suck…

Dary groaned and flew to her feet. She knew what she was doing and she also knew it wouldn’t help. She had felt this way about a man before; her brother’s friend Michael. He had been one of the first to come home, shot through the shoulder. Seeing as how he was friends with her brother, he came around to check up on her, take her out for walks. Those walks got a little friendly. He kissed her, his tongue slipping in and out of her mouth, his hands clutching greedily at her ass and breasts. She remembered feeling the length of him pressed against her hip. She had never had a boy come after her that way, but they had never been in a war before either. It seemed ok at the time. She whimpered and rubbed her face with her hands. She wanted to feel Loki that way.

Michael had, of course, not lasted. Things between them had escalated to the point of no return and, in a moment of weakness, she let him have her late one night in the back seat of his boss’ car. She snuck out to meet him at the club he worked at and he took her into the alleyway so they could ‘talk.’ She knew she shouldn’t have done it and she’d been lucky enough to escape the consequences. She didn’t get pregnant and two weeks later when Michael seemed far less interested in her, she’d escaped the consequences of him as well. But he had made her cum a few times with his fingers, so she had learned something important from him.

She remembered what it felt like to be touched that way and to touch a man like that. She remembered what it felt like to feel him, how surprised she’d been at how silky smooth he felt when he was so hot and so hard in her hand. She remembered the sound of his groan when he’d poked the head of his cock into her folds. She was scared and trembling, but she was wet enough not for it to hurt anymore than it had too. He had moaned her name in her ear and she felt him shake as he thrusted mindlessly, his cock slipping through her folds. He rutted against her, grunting, until he realized he wasn’t actually inside her. What came after had been less interesting, but she saw the potential.

She remembered those noises, and the weight of his body, and his heated cock rubbing against her. She wanted that with Loki. She wanted his weight and his smell and his voice. Just thinking of him, she could feel the tightness and heat inside her grow and she knew it would never let her rest. **  
** She crouched down at the edge of her bed, squatting so she could easily feel herself. She was no stranger to touching herself, although in truth she had not done it in a long time. She had not felt stirred to do so in many, many months. There had been too much else to get through. 

She hissed as she slid her hand up the inside of her thigh. She felt her sex pulse in need as if it had its own mind and could anticipate her approaching touch. Just the idea of a touch, even hers, brought a shiver down her back and a wave of arousal coursed through her. She bit her lip and held her breath, knowing what her fingers were about to find. A thought occurred to her. The anticipation made it even better. She leaned her back against her bed to support her weight and spread her knees a bit, hitching her nightgown up around her hips. The cooler air of the room met her core and she moaned, knowing now without even touching, that she was impossibly wet. 

She took a moment to feel her breasts, appreciate the weight in her hands, and feel her nipples tighten. She knew that Loki liked her breasts. She liked them. Everyone seemed to like them. They ached in her palms as if they too knew what was coming. She teased her nipples with her thumbs, imagining Loki watching her, imagining him standing in that crisp suit, his fingers stroking that thick cock through the fabric. The tent in the front of his pants got bigger. His mouth opened slightly. His tongue wet his lips.

Now was the time. Darcy ran her hand between her legs, running her fingers through the dark curls covering her sex. She tugged on them gently, just to feel the pull of her sensitive flesh. It didn’t disappoint. She tried to stifle a moan as yet another wave lapped at her from the inside, wettening her taught and impatient lips. She had barely begun, but she wanted to cum so badly.

She closed her legs and sunk to her knees. She needed to feel herself in her hands, needed to know what Loki would feel. She took a deep breath, ready to savour the first few exhilarating touches. If it hadn’t been so long, she wouldn’t bother being nearly so precious about it, but given that it had been and that this was the first time she was thinking about Loki, she wanted to make it memorable.

She rested the heel of her palm at the top of her mound and slid her fingers forward across her heated flesh. She stretched her hand out, taking all of herself in her palm. She squeezed the damp mound gently and felt a tingle shoot straight up through her center towards her womb. She squeezed harder and moaned as she felt wetness seep from her swollen lips and onto her fingers. God, she thought to herself, taking deep, long breaths, she’d never been this wet.

She withdrew her hand and let one finger wander up the length of her slit. It trembled in response, as did the muscles in her thighs. She stopped and wondered if she should get back in bed. Then, as if on cue, she heard steps below her, Erik moving around in the night. No, she thought thinking about the creaking of the bed as she tossed and turned. Better stay down here. 

She tuned him out, taking a deep breath, and decided to let her own sounds help her through this. The sound alone had put her over the edge more than once. Again, she drew her finger up her weeping slit, this time pressing with the tiniest pressure. The moan it drew forth, as well as the shockwaves it sent through her thighs, let her know that it wouldn’t take long once she committed to her task. It might even go too fast.

She sat back on her rump, leaning against the bed. She took her time spreading her legs, doing it almost reverently as she imagined Loki’s face before her, watching intently as she opened herself to him. He frowned a little pout as his gaze fell to her flushed center and she groaned as her fingers gently stroked her outer lips. They were glued shut with her sticky fluids, and she knew that Loki, his hand still stroking the front of his pants, wanted to see her in all her glory.

_Let me see that lovely pussy Miss Lewis. Use your fingers darling. Open your cunt for me._

Biting her lip and stifling her moans, Darcy used two fingers to pry her wet flesh apart. She panted as she imagined Loki licking his lips as the thin threads of her juices clung to her lips as they separated. Maybe he wanted to catch them on the tip of his tongue. Just a graze and a tickle. She couldn’t see, but she was sure she was glistening in the moonlight.

She held herself open with the second and fourth fingers on one hand and let her longer, more talented, middle finger go exploring. She started far below, grazing and then gently probing her entrance. It spilled with wetness, a slow stream she could feel trickling down her bum. She didn’t bother to slip her finger inside; she preferred to tease. Maybe Loki just wanted to feel how wet and hot she was. He would save inside for that hard cock twitching in his pants. Or maybe that long tongue she had seen wet his lips on numerous occasions. She moaned at that thought, feeling her breasts ache and her hips involuntarily hitch; she could do just fine with Loki’s tongue.

She let her finger dance up, tickling her sensitive inner lips, leaving trails of wetness all over her sex. She pulled and stroked and teased them, feeling the quake at her opening when it made her beg for more. She felt her walls contract; she was too close.

Her clit was burning, begging to be touched. She could tell just with a light touch that it was swollen and hungry, craving attention. But when she slid her soaked finger around the edge, it screamed in impatient ecstasy. Too sensitive just from wanting, just from being ignored for too long.

Darcy closed her legs, and threw her head back, wiping her soaked fingers on her thigh. If she continued, it would like a lightning strike; instantaneous, strong, and over too quickly. She wanted to draw it out, she wanted to moan, she wanted to imagine his face as she came slowly towards the edge. She didn’t know what to do. She threw her hands over her head and grabbed a pillow off the bed. She buried her face in the goose down and let out as loud a scream as she dared. She couldn’t even bring herself off in such a way as to cool this ache. She wanted him so badly it was driving her crazy. 

If Loki was here, faced with her pussy practically drooling for him, he would probably put her on her back and fuck her till she screamed his name and milked his cock dry. Darcy sighed at the thought; she wouldn’t mind that in the least. She turned and pressed her face into the cool cotton of the pillowcase. But maybe she wouldn’t let him, she smiled to herself. He was being such an inaccessible, obstinate little shit, maybe she should make him pay.

How would she do that she wondered? Put him on his back? Sit in his lap and tease him? Touch him gently, enough to please, but not enough to bring him off. Her hand slipped back between her legs and began to play with her slick folds, avoiding her aching clit and her greedy hole. She could let him feel how wet she was, how much she wanted him, wanted to cum for him, wanted to cum on him. Let him know what he could have, but make him beg for it. 

How else could she do it, she wondered. She laid down on her side, clutching the pillow to her chest, and let her fingers continue to play with her pussy. The poor thing was calming down a bit as her fingers soothed and teased, promising something would happen just not so fast. What if she took that thick cock out of his pants and made him feel her. She could sit in his lap and rub her juices all over his length. He would want to be inside her, but she wouldn’t let him. She would just rub herself over him, again and again.

She remembered again that moment with Michael, the hottest moment of their too-brief fumble in the back seat. The length of his cock stroked her lips, the tip rubbed her clit. It was like his finger, but bigger and hotter. He moaned in her ear, licked her neck. Darcy rolled on her stomach and spread her legs a bit, letting her hips move against her finger the way they seemed to want to.

What if she had Loki beneath her now, her thighs straddling him, his hard cock plastered between his stomach and her wet cunt. She would rub back and forth along it, teasing herself, teasing him. He would moan, too loudly for Erik’s house, and she would lean forward to kiss him, press her mouth to his and suck on his tongue. She would lick her way into his mouth as her sopping pussy stroked the length of his cock. 

Darcy felt it then. It shot straight through her core and she knew what she needed. She needed to ride. She needed to ride him, but he wasn’t here. Anything, something, she needed something between her legs. She desperately snatched at another pillow and shoved it between her legs. She mounted it, her hips and knees splayed on either side. She reached between her legs and parted her lips, plastering her clit and her wet cunt directly to the pillow. She sunk more of her weight down and bit her lip at the first sense of friction and pressure. She steadied herself on two hands and swung her hips forward and back. On dear god, she thought, a moan slipping through. That was it. 

She went again and then faster. Little fireworks went off, and she momentarily realized she was staining her bedclothes. It didn’t matter, it couldn’t matter, she had to cum and she had to cum this way. She needed the heat between her legs, as if he was really there. 

She adjusted the other pillow under her torso and grabbed a third off the bed to muffle her screams. She laid down, her hips now moving back and forth without her ability to stop them. This would have to do in place of that infernal man. She would press her breasts into him, bury her face in his neck, and rub her clit on him until she fell apart in his arms. 

It felt better than she could have ever imagined. The pressure on her clit was enough and for a mere second she was concerned that the pillow would absorb all her juices and she would be dry. But then she reminded herself she wasn’t riding a pillow; she was riding Loki’s cock. That wasn’t a pillow scraping against her nipples as she moved, that was the hard planes of his chest and the wiry hair on his torso. That was his moaning, panting breath in her ear. That was her name on his lips 

She relaxed into the feeling of it; it was indirect enough on her swollen clit that she didn’t come right away. She got to ride. She got to work up a sweat. It dripped down between her breasts and Loki licked it up. His hands were everywhere, holding her as she tortured him. He moaned in her ear, told her he was going to cum all over her if she didn’t stop, and she just rode him harder. 

Thank god for the third pillow. She was panting, moaning, his name was falling from her lips. If anyone had heard her it would have been insurmountably awful. Anyone except him; he could listen if he wanted. It might inspire him to action. 

Darcy felt it starting to get more intense. She rode harder and it took her even higher. Her hips and thighs were starting to burn and she felt like her breasts were going to explode. She was ready. She pushed herself up on her hands and rode as hard as she dared. Her clit was on fire and she could feel her walls starting to pulse, wishing Loki was really there. She wanted to slip him inside for the final crest, feel him burst inside her. Instead she just kept going, imagining his fingers clenching into her ass as she started to cum all around him.

It shot through her hard enough that it made her gasp and instinctively lift herself from the pillow. She stayed there, on her hands and knees, her pussy shaking and clenching. She could feel her own cum trickling down her walls and over her tender lips. She came harder than maybe she ever had. She collapsed into her pile of pillows, panting and boneless, wishing for the millionth time that it was actually the warm, muscular frame of a mysterious green eyed man who was beneath her. She groaned and rolled her face into her pillow.

When she had the strength, she pushed herself up onto her knees. Her body ached from the exertion and her core was tender from the friction, but it was worth it. She threw the pillows on the bed and crawled back in, sure that now she could sleep. The one pillow was soaking wet, but she didn’t want to put it away. She propped it just out of reach, but close enough so she could smell herself. She drifted off, reliving her fantasy and imagining the smell of her and Loki’s endless love making saturating her senses. Some day, she thought with a tired yawn, he is going to be mine. As she fell asleep one final thought creeped in to spoil her dreams. He’s going to be mine and then, I won’t be alone anymore. **  
**


	8. Chapter 8

Darcy took a deep breath and smoothed down the front of her dress. She had been pacing and waiting in the front room for at least twenty minutes. She was sure that Jane looked dazzling by now, but truth be told, Darcy was feeling pretty satisfied with her own appearance. Tonight was the annual party and dinner for Odin’s board of the directors. It would be a huge event, at least 25 directors and their wives, children, etc, and Eric’s nieces had been invited to, as Odin put it, sparkle the room a bit. Jane suspected he planned to announce her and Thor’s engagement that evening as well so she wanted to look particularly fetching.

They had been shopping all week; at least two stores a day. Darcy had never been through such a ridiculous exercise. Sitting in suites at stores, having models parade gowns and dresses in front of them.

But, nevertheless, it has been well worth it. Darcy had found a perfect gown, one that would seize Loki’s wits from him. That was the goal, anyway, to strike him absolutely dumb and incapable of resistance. She still wasn’t sure why he was staying away from her, not when the invitation was everything but explicitly issued. She had spent the last few weeks since their meeting in Camden Town loitering in Eric’s workshop and pressing him for information on Loki. She asked him about the years before the war, when Loki was an adolescent and then a young man apprenticing in his workshop.

She had learned a great deal. According to Eric, Loki had a brilliant mind. His grasp of science and methods of inquiry, exploration and experimentation, were all strong and nuanced. But he was more than a good scientist, he was crafty. Eric, in a voice that reminded Darcy of someone who missed a friend, spoke of Loki getting into trouble through his childhood, using his knowledge of physics, chemistry, and engineering to play pranks on his brother and father and sometimes the servants as well. Jane and Loki would spend late evenings at the large table in Eric’s dining room pouring over old scientific texts. They shared a mutual interest in reading, but not in each other. Jane had always been Thor’s and vice versa. While his brother and Jane studied the cosmos, Thor would sit quietly and wait, admiring her from afar, listening to his father carry on about business and duty and family. His beautiful mother Frigga would sit quietly in a corner, weaving and encouraging Jane and Loki in their pursuits. It didn’t sound so bad to Darcy, until she realized there weren’t really any stories of Loki and Odin.

Eric had expressed some puzzlement as to Loki’s assignment to logistics for his military service. Yes, he was not as big as Thor, or as fast and athletic, but Loki excelled in those areas as well, far beyond other boys his age. He was very fast and quick on his feet, and had been an excellent fencing student at school. It was just that he was never that interested in his own physical prowess or in receiving much acclaim for it. Eric thought perhaps the military knew a complex mind when they saw one and had instead decided to better utilize those skills. He lamented that in Odin’s eyes, it would always be a far lesser accomplishment than what his brother had achieved.

Darcy cast a glance at the fading light out the window. It did things to her to talk about Loki’s physical prowess. The incident in her room has been repeated several times in the weeks since she’d seen him as, yet again, he had not appeared to call or take her for a walk. He was proving himself either entirely avoidant, with good reason, or quite banally unreliable. She was quite hoping there was some intrigue afoot. Every time she remembered the look in his eye when in the presence of the mysterious mustached man, Darcy knew there was something more going on, something even his good friend Herschel knew better than to tell her. This gave her two thoughts to constantly obsess over: what was Loki doing that didn’t involve doing things with her (or preferably to her) and what was Loki doing that was possibly so dangerous.

She had deduced that he was not involved in the drinking, gambling, whoring life that Odin believed him to be. He was not deeply involved in Herschel’s exploits; she was fairly sure Herschel was not a simple tavern keeper and part-time world’s nicest bookie. Her experience with her brother and his friends had given her enough worldly knowledge to know a professional criminal when she saw one. Herschel’s game was probably booze, bootlegging to the States, also horses, and maybe smuggling stolen goods. Loki might help him launder his profits, but she doubted he was involved in the actual day-to-day. But she was also fairly sure that he didn’t just spend his days taking care of prostitutes and drinking in his friend’s pub. He had been in the market that day, clearly not shopping, but she wasn’t sure what he was up to. There remained a big mystery at the center of his life.

“Darcy,” Jane called as she descended the stairs, “are you ready to go to the party?”

“Yes,” she called, picking up her clutch from a side table, “I have been ready for sometime.” She was about to grumble a more irritated reply, when she turned to find Jane standing at the bottom of the stairs in a blush pink gown with gold threads and sizable diamonds dripping from her ears. Not to mention the large diamond also gracing her hand.

“Jane,” Darcy sighed, a smile spreading across her face, “you look exquisite. Thor will be speechless.”

Jane smiled broadly in return. “I do hope he likes it…”

“How can he not?” Darcy replied. “He will be so proud to have you on his arm.”

“And what about you,” Jane teased, “that dress does not look on you the way it looked on that model.”

“No,’ Darcy grinned, turning to herself in the hallway mirror, “it looks better.” The slightly lower than normal v-cut in the front of the dress was mirrored by an even deeper, although much less revealing cut in the panels in the back of the dress. The fabric flowed, concealing much, but if one went searching, you would find the bare skin of her back. The deep aqua color reminded her of Lake Michigan in the summer, the water clean and clear, turning brighter in the sun. It made her eyes glow as well and with her hair half up and half down, Darcy was quite sure that Loki would find her perfectly diverting from the boredom of his father’s party. Maybe so diverting he wouldn’t leave after five minutes.

“It certainly does. I do not think Loki will be able to look at anything else.”

Darcy gave Jane a look with one raised eyebrow. “Then my efforts will have been a success.”

“I knew it,” Jane sighed, finally confirming what she had expected were Darcy’s intentions for some months now. “Darcy, Loki is practically my family and I care for him deeply…”

“But…” Darcy whispered, taking one last minute to check the contents of her clutch.

“He is moody, and distant. He argues more than he consoles. He is a...difficult brother for Thor.”

“I think it is a difficult family Jane,” Darcy replied, snapping her clutch shut, “and each plays their part, some more aware than others.”

Jane was poised to reply, of course in defense of Thor, when Eric made his way from the back of the house.

“Let us get this dreadful evening over with,” he grumbled, motioning towards the front, “the car is here.”

“A car!” Jane exclaimed. Darcy completely forgot their earlier exchange. A car was a new luxury for Eric and Jane, even if she had grown accustomed to them in Chicago. She had not ridden in one since she arrived.

“Yes,” Eric grumbled again, “it is the most interesting part of the evening. Odin has sent it to collect us. Come, let’s be off.”

\----------

Odin’s house looked particularly festive and grand for the parties. Darcy understood that it was important to the board to see that the man at the head of the table was doing extremely well. If he was doing well, they were all doing well.

The garden was lit up with small, twinkling candles, casting a lovely shifting shapes of shadows across the plants. It smelled of honeysuckle and Darcy could see plenty of darkened, hidden corners that were perfect for sneaking away with handsome young men. The only problem was there were very few handsome young men to be found.

Darcy sipped her drink and listened distractedly as Thor described all the preparations for the party. Jane nodded attentively, taking in every detail since she had committed herself to pulling off such parties in the future. Darcy could think of nothing more tedious. Perhaps she was drinking her champagne too fast, but there was nothing else to divert her from what she could see was a long series of boredom stretching out ahead of her. Was she going to discuss the boring lives of rich men and their tamed wives? Were they going to pester her about when she would become one of them? Nothing could be worse than parties, dresses, stitching, meal planning, and idle gossip of who was marrying/divorcing/sleeping with whom. Darcy needed to be useful, to do work, to act with effect.

She smiled politely at several sons of the Baron or Earl so-and-so who asked her to dance. She was not the least bit interested in any of them, even as Jane shot her reproachful looks each time she said no. She had just finished the glass when she felt it being tugged from her fingers and replaced with another. Well, she thought to herself, at least they are very good at getting drunk at such events.

“Thank you,” she said softly, not bothering to turn her head. She hated the awkward eye contact with a servant that she felt was more like herself than not. She didn’t know how to have servants and it made her uncomfortable.

“You’re welcome,” said a voice that caused her to almost drop her drink. She spun so fast, she landed against his chest, a hand balancing herself on his shoulder. Loki instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her and his caught her in his gaze.

“That was a dirty trick,” she muttered.

“I like surprising you,” he replied, a bit of amusement in his voice.

She leaned back from him, but did not step out of his grasp. “I see that you do,” she smiled, although he noticed immediately her smile was not warm or seductive. “All you do is surprise me. Show up out of the blue, never call when you are longed for, you could have fallen off the earth and no one would know.” She looked away from him quickly, feeling an unexpected sting behind her eyes. Her feelings were more hurt than she had thought. She was so busy being angry at him for ignoring her that she had forgotten it made her feel sad as well.

Loki, for his part, was smart enough to realize immediately that he had made a mistake. After sending her away from Camden and receiving yet another series of threats from Crawford, he had changed his mind again. The path he was on was too dangerous to involve her, to pull her any further in, no matter how much he wanted. But here she was, in a dress that made him want to rip it from her body, and not only was she still interested, it was clear that she also cared for him.

He stepped closer to her and tightened his arm around her waist. He lifted the glass from her fingers and set it on a nearby table. Somewhere, there was music and a few couples were dancing. He took the opportunity to take her hand, hold her close, and spin her to the far edge of the patio. For a moment he simply held her and swayed gently to the music. Darcy looked over this shoulder, shocked that he was showing her such affection and in public no less. But when she looked around the party, it was clear that no one was watching them. Jane and Thor were wrapped up in each other, dancing at the center of the party. Odin and Eric were in some deep conversation. She and Loki were alone at the edge of a crowd.

“I am sorry Darcy,” he whispered, his lips just barely below her ear. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin and despite her own will, she broke out in goosebumps at his closeness.

“You make me feel childish,” she mumbled, resting her forehead lightly on his shoulder.

“Why?” he murmured, spreading his hand flat across her lower back. He raised his eyebrows as he realized that the folds of fabric draped across her back were indeed open. Loki wasted no time in slipping his thumb into the very apex of the split and lightly stroking the soft warm flesh below. She shivered in his arms and leaned into his embrace, stepping closer and fully resting her cheek on his shoulder. But still she said nothing. “How?” he pressed.

“I long to see you and you stay away,” she finally answered. She pressed herself against him as close as she dared, feeling the hard planes of his body against her. Her fingertips began to trace patterns on his shoulder as they danced. A cool evening breeze swept through her slit skirts and she shivered in his arm. Loki swallowed thickly as he felt her nipples tighten against his chest, her breasts pressed into him so he could feel their shape and weight.

“I think about you,” she continued, whispering in his ear. “During the day and…” she paused and a simply increase in pressure of his hand against her back pressed her forward. “I think about you when I am alone.”

“Darcy,” he moaned softly, dropping his face into her neck.

“I wonder what you are doing, why you don’t come to see me, why you don’t want me.” She let all her raging thoughts out in a moment. Let him deal with the entirety of the thing she thought to herself. Let him say no to me now.

The hand of her back stretched a tiny bit lower so that he was able to pull her hips closer to his own. In that moment, she felt, quite plainly, that Loki did, in fact, want her. Or at least he wanted her right now.

“Loki” she whispered urgently, her fingers now digging into his shoulder.

“How can you think I don’t want you.” His voice was so low, so plaintive, that she could barely hear him.

“Why would I think you do?” she asked. She moved herself away from his centre, putting enough distance between her and the hardening length against her belly that she could clearly communicate that a hard cock was not a sufficient declaration.

“It is not that easy Darcy,” he groaned. “I cannot just have you the way I want you.”

“Why not?”

“Because it would not be fair to you.”

“Because…”

“Because I cannot commit myself to you,” he said abruptly, pulling back from her to look her in the face. “Even if I wanted to.”

She swallowed thickly.

“And if I approved of a slightly less...involved arrangement?” she asked. Yes, she thought silently, I would be willing. You can have me. Although that’s not really what I want, but if that is all that can be...

“It would not be enough,” he replied, “for either of us. Would it not be more difficult when we had to part?”

“And why would we have to part?” she exclaimed, feeling the anger arise inside her. He had made all of these decisions and was willing to reveal none of his reasoning.

“Darcy, I…”

“What is it Loki?” she said, grabbing his elbow, “what are you involved in? You can tell me.”

He opened his mouth even though he had nothing to say and just when he was about to disappoint her for the hundredth time, he was saved by his cantankerous old father announcing that dinner was served.

\---------

Much to Darcy’s disappointment, she was not seated near Loki. Instead, Odin had thought to put her next to a very important, but very tedious, older gentleman who fancied himself a flirt. Darcy knew her role, it didn’t need to be said. She hated Odin for a moment, for just assuming that she would play along and that she could be used in such a way.

But she played her role well, not wanting to embarrass Eric or dishonor him in anyway. So she battered her lashes and smiled her way through dinner, playing the part of a pretty little American novelty. She sat through the most atrocious discussion, trying not to roll her eyes at the sheer idiocy of the entire thing. She felt like she was stuck in some British imperialist hell.

After dinner had been cleared and as they awaited the serving of dessert, Darcy thought it was an opportune moment to sneak off to the toilets. Odin had already announced Thor and Jane’s engagement after the first course, so she was sure there would be nothing more to miss. As she passed the middle of the table, she caught Jane’s eye. Jane quickly stood and nodded towards her as Thor graciously leapt up to pull out her chair. A few more paces and she found Loki staring intensely at her. He gave her a pleading expression and moved to rise himself, but she gave him a quick, stern shake of the head indicating that he was not particularly welcome at that moment.

She looked down at the ground, gracefully moving down the long dining hall and trying not to be seen. As she rounded the end of the table, she suddenly caught sight of a familiar face in an unexpected setting. The mustached man was at the table, his head cocked in conversation with a older, very rich looking gentleman. Darcy was so surprised she almost stumbled, but lucky enough Jane had caught up to her and reached out a hand to steady her.

“What?” Jane asked, “what is it?”

Darcy straightened her stance and smoothed her hair away from her face. “Nothing,” she said, “I thought I saw someone I knew. Someone from another life.”

“Who?” Jane asked, peering over her shoulder.

“I was mistaken,” Darcy said softly, turning towards the door. “It is no one.”

\-----------

Loki waited anxiously for Darcy to return to the table. He counted out the minutes with taps on his thigh, barely listening to the conversation around him. He had all but admitted the truth of his feelings to her in the garden. He hadn’t planned to and the strength of them had even caught him off guard. He knew he wanted her, but he didn’t realize he was starting to care deeply for her, long for her in more than a sexual way. When her voice faltered slightly and she blinked quickly as she divulged her secret desire to him, he knew she was struggling to contain her emotions. Despite the little time they had together, they each recognized something kindred in the other and to be apart was driving them crazy. Loki clenched his teeth helplessly. What could he do.

When they had not returned for more than ten minutes, Loki rose abruptly to see after them. Just as he reached the end of the room, Darcy and Jane returned and Darcy’s eye caught him like ice. He stopped quickly and felt a shiver go down his spine. Something was wrong and she knew it. She slowed her walk, taking pains not to acknowledge him, and turned at the end of the table. As she turned, her gaze left his and shot to the far side of the room. As she rounded the corner, she walked behind a row of men, heads bowed in conversation. Loki scanned them quickly, before landing on the second to last. Crawford.

He turned quickly, seeing Darcy move back to her seat, and he bolted out the door of the dining room. He set off for the front door, with every intention to leave that instant. He paused on the front step considering his options. He could simply walk out into the night and then call on Darcy and explain everything to her the following day. Clearly, she knew something was going on. She had warned him.

He paused in thought for too long. Behind him he heard the sound of a match striking a book and the smell of sulfur and then tobacco floating past him.

“Captain Odinson,” an affectless voice drawled behind him.

“Don’t you mean my brother?” Loki replied. “I believe I achieved the rank of staff sergeant.”

“You and I both know that’s not true,” the voice replied calmly. “Credit where credit is due. You served your country with great distinction. Pity no one knows. No one but me that is.”

“Crawford,” Loki snarled, turning on his heel, “what are you doing in my father’s house?”

The older man smiled at him from underneath his mustache and a haze of cigar smoke. “I was invited. I am a member of the board of directors.”

“As of when?” Loki demanded. He knew better than to betray his own shock.

“As of when it was clear to the home office that it was in our best interest for me to be...more involved in the affairs of your family.”

“It is not necessary,” Loki shook his head and toughened his stance.

“I’m afraid it is.”

“I have submitted my report on Hammers. I’ve done what you asked. You have no further need of my services.”

“Loki,” Crawford murmured, giving him that patronizing don’t-you-know-by-now look, “of course this isn’t over. Now that you know the man’s habits and routines, you’re going to find a way to kill him. And then you’re going to do it yourself.”

Loki tightened every muscle in his body. “No.”

“An expected response,” Crawford nodded, “but the wrong one. The answer is yes. Need I remind you, you don’t have a choice.”

“I won’t kill people for you.”

“It isn’t for me, it is for your King. You cannot refuse the King’s request.”

Loki smirked. “The King doesn’t care about trade unionists. Lloyd George cares.”

Crawford shook his head. “Lloyd George is a friend of the working man Loki, but not the corrupt ones.”

Loki narrowed his gaze. “Hammers isn’t corrupt, he’s a communist. If this is about anything, it's sedition, but I hardly believe that excuse.”

“It doesn’t matter what you believe,” Crawford hissed, turning his body to block Loki from view of the house. “The only thing you have to believe is that if you don’t follow your orders and deal with Hammers, I will find someone to deal with you. Or perhaps I will do it myself. I would enjoy that.”

“You’re a bit past your prime, are you not?” Loki knew he shouldn’t bait the man, but he had never hated anyone so much in his life.

“It’s not age matters when you have the level of skill I have. I know Daniel taught you all the ways to kill a man that don’t rely on physical strength. And, given that I’m far better at this work than Daniel ever was…”  
  
“You are not.” Loki clenched his fists to keep himself from choking the odious man out on the spot.

“Of course I am Loki. Daniel failed at the ultimate task; not getting himself killed. I, however, excel at staying alive. I prosper. I thrive. If you would simply follow the rules, you would find yourself in similar circumstances. You are a valuable asset, the ministry has invested in the development of your skill set.” Crawford took a long draw from his cigar and reached out to flick the ashes into a nearby bush. Loki steeled himself. He would not give this disgusting man reign over his life. 

“I’m not a killer.”

“Not unless you have to be. And right now, I say you have to be. Do it. No excuses or suffer the consequences.”

Loki shook with anger and silently congratulated himself for the instinct not to further involve Darcy in his life. He would run. Tonight.

“And Loki,” Crawford continued, “do not consider disappearing on that pile of money your mother’s family left you. I know it is within your means, and you’ll very well off for the rest of your life. But your brother and his soon-to-be wife will not, and neither will your father or your dear Eric, if you force me to do what I do not want to do.”

“You do not want to do it?” Loki hissed. “I have a hard time believing a sadist such as yourself would not enjoy ruining a great family.”

“No, I would enjoy it, but I would not enjoy losing the thousands of pounds in dividends your father is likely to make me this year. But, we all must sacrifice something in pursuit of justice.”

“What justice?” Loki exclaimed, having to keep himself from shouting. “You condemn a man on his beliefs.”

“And his actions, and his association. We must safeguard the realm.”

“Fuck the realm” Loki spit.

“Well, if you’d like,” Crawford replied simply, “but you know very well the realm would not hesitate to fuck you. And your family. You cannot run from this Loki. The crown demands it.” Loki stepped out into the street and began to pace, his mind running all at once. He had no idea what to do.

“Come,” Crawford called, “we must return for dessert and make nice with your father’s guests. Let the affairs of the state rest for the evening and let you conserve your strength. You have much work to do.”

\------------------

Darcy pushed her torte around her plate, the delicate ice cream melting into a puddle speckled with bits of cake. She was struggling to look enraptured by her dinner companions impassioned treatise on the quality of assam vs. darjeeling, gleaned during his extensive service to subdue the subcontinent. Her eyes were constantly moving to the door, waiting to see Loki appear out of the darkness. By the time the dessert plates were taken away, he had not appeared.

In the bustle of the service, however, a footman did appear at Thor’s side and hand him a note. He scanned it quickly before dejectedly handing it to Jane. Jane, however, took one look and her gaze immediately flew to Darcy. She pressed her lips into a thin line before turning back to her fiancé.

Darcy sighed and followed the party into the various parlors. Some of the men were sneaking off to smoke, while others were gathering in the garden. It was there she found Thor and Jane, heads huddled together into quiet conversation.

“Jane?” Darcy asked, hoping to convey what her question was truly about.

“Darcy,” she sighed, drawing her friend into a closed circle with Thor. “Loki has left for the evening.”

“Oh.” Darcy cast her gaze to the ground, but she could see Thor puff out his chest.

“Darcy,” he began, “I hope you will no find me forward in my comments, but Jane had informed me that you have some...affection…for my brother.”

Darcy simply stared back at him blankly, awaiting whatever pointless lecture might arise.

“I know that you are aware of my father’s objections to Loki’s lifestyle,” he continued. Darcy rolled her eyes slightly, not interested in a lecture from Thor on what she knew was not the truth of Loki’s life.

“I do not share those concerns.” Darcy’s eyes flew up to meet his.

“You do not?” she asked, clearly surprised.

“No,” Thor smiled sadly. “I do not think Loki indulges in quite the life that Odin believes. I have other friends who do partake in the vices of which Loki is accused. That life leaves traces on a man, none of which can be found in Loki.”

Darcy smiled gratefully at Thor, realizing that Loki’s brother knew more than he let on.

“But Darcy, I am still quite cautious of you developing an attachment to him.”

“Why?” Darcy’s face fell as she felt Jane’s hand rest on her forearm.

“When Loki and I were young,” Thor began, “he was very different. Since the war, he has been quite changed. I am not sure what the source of this is, I suspect it has more to do with mother’s death, but his personality is...darker.”

“What do you mean?”

“You would not scarce known him as he was Darcy,” Jane whispered. “He was so mischievous, he took such joy in life. He was a bit haughty, but he was full of light. He made everyone laugh.”

Thor looked sadly across the garden. “I have not heard Loki laugh in several years.”

The trio stood quietly for a moment before Darcy reached out and grasped Thor’s elbow. “I have heard it,” she said quietly. “He has laughed with me.”

“You have?” he smiled slightly. “There is hope yet, then.”

“There is always hope,” Darcy said, returning the smile. “Even when there is nothing, and no one, left, there is hope. We all know this, we have all lived this.” She looked over at Jane, a fellow orphan, and at Thor, who has seen more horrors that either young woman could imagine. “I don’t think there is any part of Loki that is so lost it cannot be found,” she said again. “But that does not mean he will not need help.”

Thor sighed and looked up across the party. He watched his father for a moment before flagging down a server with yet another tray of champagne. “Let us drink to that.”

They all took long sips of their drinks and Darcy let her eyes move across the garden. On the far side of the hedges, she saw the man who had followed Loki from the room. He had not returned for dessert either, Darcy had kept watch, but he was here now.

“Thor,” she said, turning toward the mustached man, “do you see that gentleman over there, with the mustache?”

Thor made some sound of acknowledgement through the rim of his champagne glass.

“Who is he?”

“Crawford someone, I think,” he mumbled. “Why?”

“I have seen him somewhere before,” Darcy said smoothly, “but I cannot place him. What is his relation to the company?”

“He is new to the board,” Thor nodded, looking at the man closely. I believe he has come in through a partnership with Benton.”

“Lord Benton?” Jane asked, scanning the crowd for the older man.

“Yes,” Thor said darkly. “I am not pleased to see Benton with allies in our midst.”

“And why is that?” Darcy asked, as casually as she could muster. She was not feeling casual at all; she felt on the verge of a discovery.

“Benton is a bad sort,” Thor grumbled. “Ill tempered, tight fisted…”

“He is notorious,” Jane finished. “Treats his workers poorly, send in thugs to patrol his factory floors.”

“Makes money hand over fist,” Thor continued.

Darcy nodded, taking a sip of her drink. “I see.”

“Don’t mind him,” Thor said. “He doesn’t have enough friends on the board to do any real damage.”

“Who doesn’t?” Eric appeared at their sides from the darkness. Jane smiled, suspecting he had been lurking in the far end of the garden to avoid conversation.

“Benton,” Thor replied.

“Disgusting man,” Eric agreed. “He would sell disease if he could make a pence off it. I’d rather hoped the god damned war would have taken care of his like.”

“Eric!” Jane gasped, not used to hearing such language from him.

Darcy giggled. “Have you had enough to drink Uncle?”

“Not nearly, my dear,” he smiled. “I am, however, thoroughly exhausted.”

Darcy sighed and nodded. She had enough of the evening as well. Jane, however, looked immediately disappointed.

“Don’t worry Jane,” Eric smiled patting her arm. “Darcy and I will retire and Thor can see you home when you are done entertaining. This is soon to be your show my dear.” He bent down and gave Jane a kiss on the cheek before standing up to shake Thor’s hand.

After saying their goodbyes, Darcy and Eric made their way to the front of the house. Eric spoke with the servants, who called up for the car. While Eric was caught up in conversation with another party goer, Darcy caught the mysterious Crawford out of the corner of her eye. He walked quickly to a waiting carriage only a few steps away from where Darcy stood. Just before he entered, Lord Benton called him back from the front door. Darcy watched him return and while he huddled at the door, she quickly ducked to the side of the carriage. She took a quick second to pull her dress down and make sure just a little bit more cleavage was peaking through.

“Excuse me, sir?” she asked in her sweetest voice, calling the attention of the driver.

“Yes, miss,” the young man stumbled, setting his reigns down quickly and scrambling down off the carriage. “How can I be of service?”

“I am wondering,” she asked, leaning in to him, “are you quite busy this evening?”

“I’m to take Mr. Crawford,” he said, tripping over his words as Darcy smiled. He could see the swell of her breast and it was making him sweat.

“And after?” she asked.

“I, um…” he stumbled.

“You see, I have a small errand that I need your assistance with.” Darcy pulled a few shillings from her purse.

“Yes, miss, anything I can help…” The young man, quickly closed his palm over the coins, turning his head to see if his employer had returned.

“After you leave Mr. Crawford, would you mind stopping by Marylbone and leaving word with our butler as to where exactly it was you left Mr. Crawford. I believe our Mr. Harris will have another few shillings for you.”

The young man smiled nervously. “You wish to know Mr. Crawford’s destination, miss?”

“Yes,” Darcy smiled, “I’m afraid it has to do with…”

“No, need,” the young man said quickly, holding up his hand. He had learned long ago to stay out of the affairs of the wealthy. “I can tell you now, I’ll be leaving him on Carter Lane, near the Cathedral.”

“Thank you,” Darcy smiled, reaching back into her clutch for a one pound note. “Thank you very much.”

“Darcy!” Eric called, peering around the carriage for her. She gave one last smile to the fidgeting young man and returned to the side of the car where Eric waited patiently for her. She climbed in, settling back in the seat as Eric situated himself next to her.

“Did you enjoy the party?” he asked, as they set off back home.

“Well enough,” Darcy replied, suddenly feeling the weight of the evening.

“Not my cup of tea,” Eric said glumly, looking out the window. “I prefer my workshop and a family dinner.” Darcy smiled slightly in agreement. “And,” Eric continued, deciding to press his suspicions, “I daresay you would prefer a walk in the gardens with a certain grumpy second son?”

Darcy gave him a sad look. “I am sorry he left so early,” Eric said, reaching out to pat her hand. “I’m afraid he is a bit unknown to us these days.”

“Yes,” Darcy sighed, looking back out the window. “But I don’t think I will wait on him any longer. Tomorrow I will set out to explore some of the parks in the city. The weather should be fine and I will enjoy it.”

Eric smiled, happy to see her resolved not to mope around the house. “And where will you go? Regent’s Park? St. James?”

“No,” Darcy smiled, “I hear lovely things about the gardens at St. Paul’s. I think I will start there.”


	9. Chapter 9

Loki took a final drag of his cigarette and looked down at the puddles at his feet. In this part of town, he needed to make sure they were just water and not petrol or some chemical that would set him alight before he realized what he’d done. He flicked the butt down and relished the quick second of the fire going out.

He hated coming to this part of the city. Southwark felt out of his comfort zone, south of the river, away from the safety of Herschel and his networks. In fact, he was in rival territory and while he could more than handle himself, he was there at the behest of Crawford, which made him even more uncomfortable.

In the long week since he had, once again, stormed out of his father’s party and left Darcy waiting behind him, he had heard from Crawford on a daily basis. The man found him everywhere he went, which convinced Loki he had another man, if not two, following him. He could lose them at anytime, but that would reveal that he knew. For that reason, he had stayed away from Eric’s house, even though he wanted nothing more than to see her. he had called him out and she knew something was going on. It pained him to realize that she understood far more than she had let on; she knew Crawford was someone and she knew he was dangerous. To Loki, that seemed an explosive mix, but he couldn’t risk telling her the truth.

So he had wandered a bit aimlessly, keeping up with his charge and his comings and goings. He had the man’s routine down pat. He went to work every morning. On his lunch, he talked ‘comrades this and that’ with his coworkers, recruiting for the union. After the final whistle, he went to the same pub as all the rest of the factory workers. Sometimes he made speeches, sometimes he just went table to table. Then he went home to his wife and children. On Wednesday evenings he went back to a different pub and the nascent unionists met there, trying to get themselves organized. Sometimes they welcomed a visitor, maybe IRA or someone from the Third International. Loki didn’t really care. All they talked about was dreams and Loki knew better than that. After what he had seen in the war, he no longer believed these governments could make a better life for people. It was up to people to make it for themselves.

He leaned forward and looked either way up and down the road. Crawford had told him to be at this address at this time, so he supposed that making him wait was just part of Crawford’s games. He made a note to remind the man that it was tiresome; they were both far too experienced to succumb to such trivial attempts to undermine each other. Loki wouldn’t become anxious because he had to wait and he wouldn’t panic or falter because people were following him. Frankly, it was just a waste of time and manpower. When Loki didn’t want to be followed, no one would be able to follow him. He had been taught well.

Realizing that no one else was in the road, he let his mind drift back to Darcy. She had looked fantastic at the party. His thoughts drifted to the brief moments he got to hold her in his arms as they danced; the way she smelled, the warmth of her skin, the softness of her body. She was like a dream he had once. He knew that underneath that beguiling appearance was a complicated, intelligent woman, but that just made him want her more.

He had spent much of his wandering time over the last week trying out various scenarios in his head. Would he be able to somehow escape London before he had to kill an innocent trade unionist? After more than a month of following the man, he had decided he was guilty of nothing serious. Giving the IRA a $50 collection didn’t amount to much in Loki’s mind, although technically it was sedition. It certainly wasn’t worth assassinating him.

If he was able to get out of town, what would he do about Darcy? Could he take her with him? He didn’t see how. The home office would have spies throughout Europe and it would be much harder for the two of them to disappear than Loki alone. Perhaps his best option was to try and visit her and succumb to her before he left. One night was better than none. Of course he wouldn’t be able to tell her he was leaving, and leaving was what he definitely had to do. He couldn’t live under the thumb of a man like Crawford. And if he wasn’t here, they couldn’t use him to do their dirty work or manipulate his family.

It would be difficult for him to leave town without killing the man. He had been stalling on providing a plan to Crawford. He had a feeling that was the reason for his summons today. He had been instructed to draw up several possible plans for assassination and then Crawford would decide which to execute. Loki had made every single avenue sound overly difficult and at risk for exposure. He knew eventually someone would call his bluff.

If he had to kill the bloody sod, he wouldn’t visit Darcy. He would just leave. He couldn’t go to her with the man’s blood on his hands. He hadn’t killed anyone since his escape. He wouldn’t be that man again and he definitely wouldn’t offer himself to her in that state. She deserved better.

As far as he was concerned, Darcy deserved everything he couldn’t give her. He no longer tried to keep himself from thinking of her, especially at night, and he no longer abstained from the release he desperately craved. Every night was the same. He lay awake, dreaming of a life with her. In his dreams they could go to Sweden, where his mother’s people where, or to Finland, where there were some distant relatives. Or maybe even to Italy, to Darcy’s people. They could have a house, it didn’t need to be fancy because Darcy wouldn’t like it. But it would be beautiful. Sea, sky, gardens, trees, fresh air, sunshine. No more darkness, cold, rain, dirt, sadness for them.

In the evenings, Darcy would cook dinner because Loki liked pasta and he liked what pasta did to women’s figures. He had been to Italy and through central Europe where the women ate potatoes and grains and wheat everyday. They all had healthy handfuls of tits and asses, just the way he liked them, just like Darcy did. Or sometimes, he would cook for her. He had learned a bit, picked up things here and there. He had learned enough to pass as French, Dutch, Flemish, Belgian, German. He could make lefse for a treat. He would roll it up for her with sugar and lemon and feed her little bits as they lounged in the garden. At night they would read in front of a fire and tell each other all the interesting things they learned from the huge library he would collect. Maybe there were children, maybe not, but each night they would climb into a big fluffy white bed and there Loki’s dreams really began. Now he touched himself every night picturing Darcy in that bed, imagining her sounds, smells, and tastes. Always she came with a little gasp and a moan, almost like when he had touched her in the garden. Always he came to the sound of her voice.

That life was never going to happen. He couldn’t bring her into something like this. They would never leave him be. He no longer had any other options.

Suddenly he heard the sound of bolts turning behind him and he quickly turned to face the door. A older, silent man motioned him inside and Loki followed him through a darkened series of rooms and into the back of the house.

The farthest room was lit only by a few blinking electric lights. Loki knew immediately this was not some hovel; if a building in this part of town had electricity than it was invested in. It must have been a hideout or an operations centre of some kind. Not surprisingly, Crawford was standing in the far corner of the room, leaning against the only other door Loki had seen. Crawford was always sneaking around doors, coming and going as he pleased, blocking the way for those he wanted to trap. Loki hated him.

“What is this?” Loki snarled, not seeing the point of pleasantries.

“What you need to complete your assignment,” Crawford said, nodding at the disassembled weapon on the table. Loki of course knew what it was: a M1891 Mosin-Nagant. A sophisticated weapon, with a long range scope. So, he was to shoot the man and from a good distance.

“I have already said…” he began.

“I know what you’ve said,” Crawford interrupted, holding up an impatient hand. “And I disagree. I’ve read your reports. You can easily make use of the roof of the adjacent building to the pub. Do it when he leaves to go home to his family. He usually leaves alone, as you’ve noted.”

Loki stood as still as possible, watching the older man assemble the gun partially and then begin loading it into a satchel. He nodded and then turned to leave.

“Take it with you,” Crawford called. “Unless you want me to deposit it at Odin’s front door or perhaps bring it to the next board meeting.”

Loki smiled and turned. “You know, I have no problem with you taking it to the board. I’m sure they’d all be interested to know who you are.”

“And what I know,” Crawford smiled. “They like me mainly for my...intelligence.”

Loki glared at him as he reached out for the package, realizing he would have to hide it somewhere in Ida’s house. The idea of it made him queasy.

“Do it soon,” Crawford said. “If I send a man up to that rooftop at tea time, I expect you to be up there. Wait till he’s alone and get it done.”

Loki turned and left without another word. He trudged through the streets blindly, not really thinking about where he was going. He turned his situation over and over in his mind until the sky started to turn pink and dark clouds rolled into the sky.

\---------

Darcy sighed and looked out the window. She had no idea why she had to sit in the parlor with Jane whenever Thor came to visit. Did they really need to be chaperoned? They were getting married and Jane was not the type to let Thor in her bloomers a second before he was entitled to be there. Darcy doubted Thor was even the type to try. If they wanted to get up to a little bit of close-mouthed kissing, who could possibly care?

She  scrunched up her face in irritation. She was upset and was taking it out on her friends, rather than on the person who deserved her ire: Loki Odinson. She had gone from sad to hurt to angry. Everytime she saw him he reciprocated her interest and then he ignored her for days on end. It was only when she pushed her way in that he paid her any mind at all and she was growing tired of banging on a closed door. She had even warned him of the mustached-man at Odin’s party and he hadn’t turned up to explain or anything.

She heard her name being called from somewhere over her shoulder, and as she turned her head, the housekeeper appeared and beckoned her to follow her to the kitchen. Darcy sighed and huffed out of the room, throwing Jane a conspiratorial look at she left. There, she thoughts, let him impregnate her in the next five minutes. Would serve this stupid country right.

Darcy tried to listen as the housekeeper described some situation that was calling her out of the house for the night. She nodded as she heard that she would need to coordinate dinner, get Erik from his study, instruct the cook on what the pudding should be. She tried not to roll her eyes; the women who ran Erik’s house were intelligent and skilled. They could make these decisions independently and the occupants of the house, who never lifted a finger in the service of their own food or comfort, would just have to be happy with whatever magically appeared in front of them.

Again she tried to control her anger. She was lashing out internally at a world she didn’t understand or especially appreciate. She was sick of being uncomfortable in her own home, sick of trying to understand, sick of asking for permission and forgiveness. She was more than capable and had lived through too much. She could be in charge of her own life, but no, according to the rules of the society she lived in, she needed a husband for that. And candidate #1 on her list was proving to be a proper pain in the ass.

Her gaze drifted out the kitchen window and across the back garden. She could see little drops of rain starting to gather on the windowsill. She sighed and turned as the housekeeper dismissed her. She watched the garden as she left, nodding to the cook that she agreed dinner could be served at 7pm.

It was nearly 6 and late enough for a drink. She made her way back towards the front of the house, but suddenly had no interest in sitting in with Thor and Jane as they whispered their little words to each other and made a perfunctory attempt to involve her in the conversation. Enough was enough.

So instead, she made her way to the library. If it was going to rain, she would like nothing more than to curl up in Erik’s window seat with a little bit of stolen brandy and a shawl. She had just settled herself in when she felt a sudden wave of exhaustion. She leaned her head against the cool glass, letting the warmth of the brandy and the wool blanket sooth her.

Dinner came and went without incident. Dary felt a bit calmer by the brandy she’d spent the previous hour nursing. A few glasses of wine and she cared even less for her surroundings. Erik emerged long enough to take a plate of food back down to his workroom, not that his presence would have injected any kind of excitement into the evening. After dinner was equally tedious: cards, Thor read some poetry, Jane smiled. Darcy had another brandy.

Finally it was time to retire and at least be alone with her thoughts, which increasingly were turning towards strategies to break free from the life she had found herself in. She didn’t really have any of her own money. There was nothing from her parents. She had another place to go, but what could she do when she got there? Nothing without sufficient cash and, unfortunately, a husband. It would be difficult and dangerous on her own. She wasn’t scared of trying, but she needed a plan first.

She smiled at Jane as she headed up the stairs, calling good night to Darcy over her shoulder. She wasn’t quite ready to head up. In fact, she could feel the alcohol she’d consumed swimming in her stomach and she knew better than to go to sleep like that. She headed back to the empty kitchens, thinking a bit of bread and cheese would do just fine.

The room was cool and dark and woke her up a bit. Outside the wind was picking up. It hadn’t started to rain in earnest, still just a little pitter and patter, but now there was lightning and thunder. A strong storm was imminent and she was glad to see it. It would make for good sleeping weather.

Just then a flash of lightening alerted her to a figure poised outside the door to the garden shed. It was a man, a large one, and he appeared to be closing the door behind him. She scurried into a darker corner of the kitchen near the window, hoping he couldn’t see her. She looked again and a second flash of light revealed the intruder and drew an irritated growl from Darcy’s throat. She wasted no time throwing open the door to the garden.

“Loki!” she called, “what in god’s name are you doing?”

He came towards her, walking with a particular sort of lightness and grace that did not betray the fact that he was just caught sneaking around in the garden in the dark.

“Reminiscing,” he said, nonchalantly.

Darcy just stared at him. After all of these weeks and all of these missed chances, here he was standing in front of her as if nothing had happened between them. Loki peaked around her at the empty kitchen. “Are you having a late night snack?” he asked. “May I join you? I’m starved.”

Darcy mumbled a yes and stood back as he swept by her and into the kitchen. He immediately set about opening larders and digging out the leftovers of the evening’s meal as if he had lived there his entire life. Darcy bit her lip as she shut the door and the rain began in earnest. This is not good, she thought to herself, I’m a little bit drunk.

She betrayed herself almost automatically. Loki was turning circles around her grabbing things off shelves and throwing them on the work table. She turned around watching him and then twisted her feet and lost her balance.

“Hang on there,” he smiled, grabbing her around her waist so she didn’t fall. He held her close for just a beat longer than he needed to. Both of them noticed. Both of them blushed.

“You seem a bit off,” he smiled, letting her go and pulling out a stool opposite his pile of food. He gestured for her to sit and watched her carefully until she was perched upright.

“That’s because…” she said slowly, drawing the thought out, “quite frankly, I’m a little drunk.”

Loki frowned and took his seat. He looked at her for a beat before he turned his attention to the table and began to assemble his late night meal on his plate. “And why are you drunk?” he asked, trying to keep any concern out of his voice. “Have you been upset?”

He made the mistake of looking up at her and he saw the irritation in her eyes. She was mad at him, but she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. “Yes,” she said cooly, “but this evening I have mostly been bored.”

“Ah,” he said, shoveling food into his mouth. He chewed for a moment and swallowed. “Has my brother called today?”

“Yes,” she said, looking away from him. “It was tedious.” She began to strum her fingers on the table while he wolfed his food down and contemplated telling him that tomorrow she would go for a walk with the young man who lived down the block. He had asked a few times and she’d said no. Perhaps she should stop. Instead, she decided to be straight with him, as she had been thus far.

“Loki,” she said, demanding his attention from his food, “I am re-considering your standing invitation to take me for a walk.”

His brow furrowed as he chewed. She waited for him to swallow and then she slid her hand across the table and slipped her finger over the lip of his plate. She pulled it gently away to signal that she wanted his full attention. He grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth, took a swig of water, and folded his hands in front of him.

“What are you doing?” she asked softly.

“Eating dinner with a beautiful woman,” he replied smoothly.

“What are you doing with me?” she said, her eyes all but pleading with him.

Loki sighed and looked down at his hands. He waited too long to reply because Darcy felt a tide rising in her chest and she decided to bolt before she cried in front of him. He was toying with her; she was sure of it now.

“I’m going to bed,” she said, her anger unveiled. “You are not invited.” She stood as quickly as she dared and turned to leave the room. In his rush to catch her she heard his stool hit the floor just before she felt his hand wrap around her arm.

“Darcy, no,” he started, “please. I know we need to talk.” When she didn’t say anything, he scanned the room quickly. “Just give me a minute to clean up in here and I promise I will come to you. Wait for me in the parlor.”

She glared at him, but turned to leave, all the while gulping hard to keep her emotions in check. She felt like she was being tossed about on an ocean because of his coming and going. She hated the feeling of not knowing, of being left to wonder, of knowing something bad was going on and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She didn’t know if he really wanted to be with her, if he wanted a lark, or he wanted a cover. And she hated herself for caring what happened to him when he’d done nothing but disregard her for months. She felt like a complete fool. She’d already told him that and it had made no difference.

Loki tried to hurry to clean the kitchen. Even though he still had no idea what he was going to do about his feelings for Darcy or the situation they were in, he didn’t want her to suffer and he saw now that simply ignoring the problem didn’t make it go away. It only hurt her. He bumbled about, being clumsy when he usually never was, and he had to stop for a minute to take a few deep breaths. What was it about her that threw him so far away from the man he usually was? What was this need for her? Why did it make his so foolish and distracted? What could be done about it? As he washed his hands he realized his had no idea and he felt like not only a complete idiot, but a failure as well.

He found her in the parlor. She had re-stoked the fire, which must have not gone quite out yet.

“May I join you,” he asked, standing behind her on the settee and eyeing the seat next to her.

She crossed her arms and turned her bottom away from him, trying to communicate her lack of patience with him. “It’s a free country,” she said.

“No,” he smiled, taking a seat, “not really.”

“Well...suit yourself,” she said angrily, waving her hand about. “You do what you want, never mind anyone else so I have no idea what would stop you now.”

“Darcy,” he said softly, reaching out for her, “are you angry with me?”

She whipped her head around and her eyes flashed with anger even though they were unfocused from the drink. “Are you thick?” she asked. Loki flinched. “I’ve been insulting you since you got here and you’re not sure if I’m angry with you?”

Loki leaned back in his seat and stretched his arm over the back of the settee. She made a small humphing sort of noise and scooted farther away.

“Well, I wasn’t entirely sure,” he said casually, looking at the fire. “You’re a complicated woman.”

Yes I am, Darcy thought. Nice of you to notice.

“Of course I’ve noticed,” he replied. Oh shit, Darcy thought, I said that out loud. I’m drunker than I thought.

“Darcy,” he began, leaning forward slightly, “every time I am in your presence, all I can do is notice you.”

“Yes, I’m sure I look quite nice in profile,” she said, turning around. She waved her hand in front of her face. “Quite lovely as some sort of abstract blur you see as you run right past me."

Loki twisted his mouth. “I am at fault for not calling on you.”

“No Loki,” she said, leaning closer to him, “you are a jerk for not calling on me.”

He flinched again. He was not used to her directness. “I’m sorry,” she said sarcastically, “the truth does sting, no?”

“Are you saying you’ve had enough?” he replied.

“Of what?”

“Of our little game,” he teased. As soon as he said it, he knew he had mis-spoken. Her face fell, her anger dampened, but he could see the ache in her eyes. She looked away from him and into the fire and he could see her taking a deep breath as she swallowed down whatever she wanted to say. He half expected her to run out on him again.

“It’s not a game to me,” she said quietly.

Loki dug his fingers into the upholstery, wondering how long he could keep this up before he buckled. They were playing chicken and either he was going to break down or run out on her again. That is, unless she let him win, although that would feel far away from winning.

“I disagree,” he purred, reaching forward to pull a strand of hair over her shoulder. “Each of our meetings has been a game. One of us steps forward, the other steps back…and really, to what end?”

He saw her shoulders straighten and her spine lengthen. She sat straighter, she turned her body out of his reach, and then she pivoted around to face him. “Not true,” she said. “I have never stepped back. And you have never been cruel, until just a moment ago.” Loki tried to keep his face from falling, but he felt the moment slipping away. “You know what end,” she continued, leaning forward, “you dream about it. I know you do. The way you touch me, the way you speak to me, the way you look at me. I’m not blind, deaf, or dumb. You don’t think I know what desire looks like?” she hissed.

He opened his mouth to interrupt, but Darcy was way ahead of him, as usual. “Don’t try to play games with me Loki,” she said seriously, “not about the way you feel.”

He sat, mute and confused, truly unsure what he wanted from her at that moment. He wanted control, he wanted time, he wanted assurances. He wanted her, he wanted to leave, he wanted to stay.

Finally, he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “Darcy,” he said quietly, “I admit that things between us have been...charged...these past few months, but I am sorry if I have led you to believe that anything between us could amount to…I’m afraid my feelings are not...” He stammered on the words; they wouldn’t come easily. He found himself unable to push them out.

She stilled his speech by standing so quickly she almost felt dizzy. She said a silent thank you that she didn’t keel over in front of him. She gave him a sharp, angry look, and turned to leave the room.

“Where are you going?” he asked, shocked that she had the nerve to stand up and walk out on him.

“You can let yourself out the kitchen door,” she said, pausing at the door. “We do not need to continue this conversation.”

He felt a moment of relief run through him. “I am glad you understand…”

“No,” she interrupted, “I don’t. But I’ve already learned an important lesson in life: don’t fall in love with liars.” Her hair flew behind her as she whipped around and Loki found himself alone, once again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me.

“Oi!” A sharp bang and a loud voice roused Loki from a dead sleep. Immediately he was hit with a slicing pain through his head and a cloud of smoke filled his face. He winced, peeling open his eyes to find Herschel sitting backwards in a chair in front of him.

“Loki,” he sighed, “you motherfucker.”

“Come now,” he croaked, turning his head into the back of Herschel’s couch, “there’s no need to be rude.”

“Rude!” Herschel exclaimed, leaning forward. “Rude! This is the second time in as many months that I’ve had to rouse you out of a bender you tit. Although now you’re sleeping in my office and leaving your guts in front of _my pub_.” Herschel poked himself in his chest as he emphasized the particularity of Loki’s infractions.

“There is always vomit in front of your pub.”

“Since when can you not hold your drink?” Herschel leaned down and picked up an empty whiskey bottle. “Well,” he reasoned, leaning back from the stink of beer and booze, “I suppose no man can hold what you’re pouring in there.”

Loki swallowed hard and peeled his cheek off the leather. It was sticky from the humidity of his breath. “Please,” he muttered, turning back to face Herschel, but not bothering to open his eyes, “things are not going particularly well at the moment.”

Herschel sighed and Loki heard him grunt as he pulled himself out of the chair. The door to the office cracked behind him as it slammed. Loki let out a breath as he tried to swim through the haze of his mind and the ache in his body. When he heard the door open again only minutes later, he braced himself for a bucket of cold water or some other torture. Instead he heard a small clink as his friend set a fresh cup of coffee down on the floor, just under his nose.

“Coffee?” Loki croaked.

“Yes,” Herschel said, standing back up, “none of this weak English tea shit. Now get up, get clean, and meet me out front.”

\-------

Twenty minutes later, Loki was bent over the bar, nursing his second of coffee. Herschel was at the door, talking to someone who he was clearly trying to shoo away. When he finally succedded, he made his way back to Loki and collapsed next to him on a bar stool.

“What is this about?” Herschel said, lighting another cigarette.

Loki rubbed his face and sighed. Without looking at his friend, he muttered the words he’d been avoiding for two days. “I need to leave,” he said hoarsely. “It is time to go.”

“Go where?” Herschel asked, taking a long drag off his cigarette.

“Where ever you can send me,” Loki replied.

Herschel nodded, frowning, and fumbling with his cigarette case. He left one and a box of matches on the bar next to Loki and considered his options for a minute. He pulled a bit of tobacco off his tongue and flicked it away. “You’ll go to Moravia,” he said finally. “You’ll like it. Good wine, green hills, thick women.”

Loki nodded and took a long swallow of coffee. Of course he did not want to go to eastern Czechoslovakia, although Herschel was right about the wine and the women. “Who is there?” he asked quietly.

“My mother’s family. Good people. They will understand you. You will go the day after tomorrow.” Loki nodded silently and they sat in quiet until Loki had finished his coffee and Herschel his cigarette. Then, without words, they traded and Loki took up smoking while Herschel refilled the cup.

“What else?” Herschel asked. His brow was now equally furrowed to match Loki’s, both of them trying to run through what needed to be done.

“Tonight and tomorrow, the trade unionist, he can’t make it to the pub. Crawford wants me to shoot him from the roof of the adjacent building. I’ll have to go up there and wait, but…”

“You can’t kill him if he’s not there to be killed,” Herschel nodded. “It will be taken care of.” They smoked and drank in silence again for another few moments until Herschel spoke up. “Is that why there is a rather large rifle behind the false back of my office closet?”

Loki nodded and shrugged. “No matter,” Herschel continued, “can I keep it?”

“Of course,” Loki smirked, “complements of his majesty.”

“Fuck him ,” Herschel barked.

Loki grinned, a wave of sadness washing over him as he realized how much he would miss his friend, really his only friend. And then there was Ida, who he wouldn’t tell he was leaving. It would be easier that way.

Herschel left him in peace to finish his cigarette and then smoke a second one. As the clock crept closer to noon, Herschel finally came back only now he was carrying a two pints.

“And what about the girl?” he asked. Loki let out a pained groan and dropped his head to the bar.

“It is done,” he exhaled. “Whatever was alive, I killed it.” Herschel nodded and sipped his pint. Daniel had told him early on that Loki was terrible with women. He was good enough at getting laid because he could lie with the best of them, but when it came to telling the truth..

“She called me a liar.”

Herschel smirked again. “You are a liar.”

“Yes, but...not with her.” Loki raised his head and took a long sip of beer.

Herschel grinned. “You’ve done nothing but lie to her.”

Loki shifted in his stool. “Maybe omission, not commission.”

“Tosser,” Herschel smirked. “It doesn’t matter and you know it. But whether you’ve lied to her is not really the issue. You’re not mad she called you a liar. You’re mad she caught you.”

Loki scowled. Darcy Lewis would go down in his life’s book as a great failure. He hadn’t managed to have her and he hadn’t controlled the situation at all. She was too much for him.

“She’s better at this than you,” Herschel teased.

“Better at what?” Loki replied, the indignation clear in his voice.

“Better at playing the game. She’s gotten to you, gotten under your skin, and you can’t bullshit her.” Herschel smiled and lit another cigarette. “I like her a lot.”

“That’s not true,” Loki huffed.

Herschel just shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think you’ve met your match. You are usually the one playing, but now you are getting played. She’s got you so tightly wound you piss in circles.

\--------

Loki spent the rest of the day sleeping it off in Herschel’s office. At around tea time, he made his way to the roof of the building. He spent three hours leaning over the edge, smoking cigarettes and planning out his escape. Now that Darcy was done with him, there was no point in waxing over what could have been. Nothing could have been; that was the entire reason he’d pushed her away. It wasn’t that he'd gone over that night to end whatever-it-was that was between them. He’d just gone to hide the gun in Eric’s shed, but she’d seen him, caught him, and he couldn’t say no to being around her. That was why it was all the more crucial that he avoid his family and the potential of seeing her. Herschel was putting a lot on the line to sneak Loki out of the country and he knew that he would lose his head around her and do something stupid.

At about 7:30, Loki gave up and headed back down to the street. He wandered over to Ida’s, finding Herschel already sitting in front of the fire. They had one last dinner, unbeknownst to Ida, and then Loki went to his room and packed a small bag with a few changes of clothes, a decent amount of cash, and a few personal effects of his mother’s. He and Herschel headed out that night to square away a few of Herschel’s business commitments. It kept Loki’s mind off of what he needed to do.

The next day, he did the same thing over again. Except his feet felt a bit heavier, his body moved a bit slower. It had no interest in leaving. He felt fixed, but his mind was set on flight. It was his only option.

That night he and Herschel went to one of Herschel’s favorite supper clubs. They ate too much, drank too much, and rather than going home with any of the dancers, they wandered the streets drunkenly until sunrise. They made it back to the bar at day break, finally sobering up and ready to sleep it off.

But when they opened the door to the pub, they found one of Herschel’s guys behind the counter with his arms crossed and a gruff look on his face. He was staring down a young man who was exhausted and clinging to a cup of coffee like his life depeneded on it.

“Loki” Steve breathed, “finally. I’ve been waiting all night.”

Loki rolled his eyes at the appearance of his brother’s errand boy. He wanted nothing to do with his family before he left. He just wanted to clean up and make his way to Herschel’s warehouse to wait for the delivery truck to leave. “Steve,” he sighed, holding up his hand, “there isn’t anything that could possibly be that important…”

Steve shook his head to interrupt. “Thor told me not to come home until I found you. He wants you to call straight away.”

“No one will be awake at the house,” Loki protested.

“He said straight away, no matter what time.” Steve looked nervous and Loki wasn’t sure if he was more scared of the news he was sent to deliver or how Loki would react. So he shook his head in annoyance and waved Steve away, heading back to Herschel’s office. He closed the door behind him and sank down into the chair at the desk. He had a hard time to sitting at that desk without remembering his dream of Darcy, the one where she perched in that very spot and spread her legs with a sly smile and a crooked finger.

The phone rang just once before it was snatched up by a household servant. Loki grumbled into the phone and vaguely heard a ‘just a minute sir,’ or a ‘right away sir.’ He drummed his fingers on the desktop as he waited for the bark of his brother’s voice. He wasn’t disappointed.

“Loki,” Thor snapped, his mood decidedly more dark than Loki was used to.

“Thor,” Loki replied, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. The only emergency that could create such drama was Odin and his health and Loki was not in the mood for family.

“Loki, we need you to come home. Now.”

Loki shook his head even though he knew Thor could not see him. “Whatever it is, it can wait until I’ve had a chance to change my clothes and…”

“Loki, it is Darcy,” Thor said sternly. “Erik and Jane are here.”

Loki felt the bottom fall out of his stomach. “What?” he croaked, his voice suddenly lost.

“Loki, please come home and we can discuss…”

“What is it Thor?” he demanded. He gripped the phone so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Loki,” he sighed, clearly able to sense his brother’s panic over the phone. “Darcy is gone. She has been missing since the day before yesterday.”

 


	11. Chapter 11

“What do you mean she is gone?”

He heard Thor sigh sadly into the phone. “She has not been seen since the day before last. She has not come home for two nights. We cannot find her. Jane is hysterical, Erik is frantic. We need your help. You should come home.”

Loki gulped. Something with Thor was not right. “You sound resigned,” he said.

He heard a shuffling noise that he interpreted as Thor moving away from the other people and then he heard a gruff whisper. “I am not convinced that she is...missing,” he replied.

“What do you mean?”

“She has been unhappy,” Thor said. “The night before she disappeared, I took dinner with Jane and Darcy. Darcy was...quiet, angry, distracted. She was not her usual self.” Thor flinched as he heard Loki growl into the phone. “Please, Loki, just come home,” he pleaded. “I know you have feelings for her. I know the two of you have spoken...privately. We need your input.”

“I am coming now,” Loki barked, slamming the phone down in its cradle. He flung open the door to find Steve fidgeting in front of the bar and Herschel inspecting his cigarette case.

The second he saw Loki’s face, Herschel was on his feet. He opened his mouth to speak, but Loki held up his hand. “Steve,” he said, pointing at the young man, “you are coming with me. Go hail us a carriage.” Steve nodded and ran out the front door. “Herschel,” he said, turning to his friend, “I need you network.”

Herschel nodded sharply. He could see the panic in Loki’s eyes and the attempt to remain calm and cool headed. It was not working particularly well. “What do you need?”

“Darcy is missing,” Loki seethed, feeling his guts rattle around his insides in an unfamiliar way. “I need you to…” he took several deep breaths and Herschel turned quickly to the man behind the bar.

“Fredrick,” he shouted, “you remember the girl, with Loki.”

“Yeah boss,” he replied.

“Find her now. Start with the carriage drivers in Marlybone, then the trains, talk to the servants. I don’t want to see your ugly face until you know where she’s been since…”

“Two days” Loki muttered.

“Since two days ago. Go now, get who ever else you need..”

Steve burst back through the front of the pub, calling that he had a carriage. Loki stocked forward, turning to nod to Herschel as he yelled that he would wait by the phone.

Out in the street, the light was just turning to day. It made Camden look filthy, but usually it was filth that Loki didn’t mind. Today he minded; this festering, stinking place was his only haven and still they had found him here. He didn’t know how, but he knew they were involved. Thor was wrong; Darcy wasn’t running. She must have gone somewhere she shouldn’t have and Loki was the only person to blame.

Steve waved him forward, indicating that the carriage was around the corner on the high street. Loki took a few steps and then shouted for him to go on, that he would follow in a few moments. He turned around and headed for the darkened alley across from the pub. Leaning one hand against the cold brick wall he bent forward and shoved two fingers as far down his throat at they would go. He wretched once, twice, and then heaved a stomach full of whiskey onto the pavement below. Standing, he wiped his mouth and turned back to the street. He had to think straight; he had to find her.

\-----------

Loki sat silently by the small table in the foyer. Next to him was the telephone. There was also one in his father’s office, but since the rest of the assembled party was in there, he elected to stay in the hallway. He had arrived several hours ago. In that time they had hashed over several possible scenarios.

Had Darcy run off? No, Erik and Jane argued. She had not taken anything with her but her day hat and her purse. Would she at least not pack a bag?

Was she incapacitated somewhere? This worried them the most. Odin had already summoned Scotland Yard and now Jane paced as they waited for the detective to arrive.

Did she have friends in London they did not know of? No, Jane insisted. Loki agreed. The only unknown friends of Darcy were ones that he had introduced her to.

“Is there a suitor we do not know of? Does she go walking about with men?” Odin asked. Loki’s eyes flashed angrily and Thor quickly dispelled this option from his father’s mind.

Erik was quiet, but his hands turned over and over on themselves. Loki had never seen him so worried. “Where ever she is,” he said quietly, “I do not think she is there of her own free will. Her parent’s paper, the pictures, the trinkets from her mother,” he said, “they are all in her room.”

“She does venture out on her own,’ Loki spoke up, pushing himself back into the deep leather couch.

“What?” Jane asked, her voice surprised and confused. “No, I told her, when she first came, that she could not go out without myself or…”

“Darcy is…” Loki shifted uncomfortably, “in need of diversion.”

Thor set his jaw. “What kind of diversion?” he asked.

Loki felt all the eyes in the room on him; their gaze was hot and pointed. How to explain in such a way that it could help without revealing himself? At this point, he was most worried that Darcy had come looking for him in Camden and some vile faint had befallen her. When Scotland Yard arrived, he had resolved to tell them as much, unless he heard from Herschel first.

Thor stood, his fists clenching. “I know she has asked you to call, Loki, and to take her out to Regent’s or St. James. But you have never done so.”

“No,” he said quietly.

“Could she have gone by herself?” he asked, “should we send someone to look there?”

Loki cleared his throat and shook his head. “I have not taken her to the gardens,” he continued, “but…”

“But what?” Odin pressed.

“But, some time ago, I ran into Darcy at the market in Camden Town.”

“Camden Town!” Jane gasped, Thor immediately sinking bank into his seat next to her and wrapping his arm around her. Erik dropped his face into his hands and Odin growled from behind his desk.

“Loki!” he hissed, “did you draw this young woman into your corrupt and debauched world?”

Loki narrowed his gaze at his father. “Of course not,” he said cooly, “I did not take her there. She came of her own free will.”

“But she came looking for you?” Thor pressed. “Did she not? Loki, Jane and I have observed Darcy and you…”

“Observed what?” Loki snapped.

“You have...feelings for each other,” he said, trying to take on a more gentle tone.

“I cannot help it if the girl has a enamored!” Loki exclaimed, vaulting himself from his seat and heading towards the door.

Odin barked out a sharp laugh. “Enamored?” he chucked. “Of what?” He motioned towards Loki and scowled. “She must be quite a great deal duller than I gave her credit for if she has formed an attachment to the likes of you. I can’t imagine what would possess a young woman of such wit to lower herself to the dregs you’ve placed yourself.”

Not needing the entire discussion to descend into another match with Odin, Loki had removed himself to the foyer to wait next to the phone. Herschel’s men had now been canvassing Marlybone for several hours. They had to have something soon.

Loki had never been good at waiting. He felt cramped in the straight-back wooden chair and found himself constantly moving to try and gain some comfort. A moment such as this of course brought him back to his imprisonment. Then they had tied his hands behind his back and his ankles together so he could not move. They had taken Daniel and all Loki could do was wait. It was torture to him. He’d would much rather act.

Just when he was about to vault himself into the streets to look for her himself, the phone rang. He didn’t even pretend to the pleasantries, gruffly asking whomever was on the other end to speak. It was Herschel.

“St. Paul’s,” he said. “The carriage drivers have been dropping her at St. Paul’s.”

“What?” Loki spit. That made no sense. Darcy had never expressed any interest in religion. Yes, the rose gardens around the cathedral could be nice this time of year and perhaps she just liked the people watching, but Darcy had absolutely no reason to be in that part of the city.

“Can you think of…” Herschel started, jarring Loki out of his thoughts.

“No, no reason,” he replied, his voice far away. “There is no reason for her to be there.”

“Search her room,” Herschel said gruffly and Loki could hear a stack of papers being flipped through. Loki nodded. He had thought the same and Herschel was an expert at finding people who didn’t want to be found.

“What are you doing?” Loki asked distractedly. A door opened at the far end of the corridor and the butler marched across to Odin’s study, dragging a mousy, timid looking maid behind him.

“We’ll start at some of the houses around there,” Herschel said. “She has some proclivity for the poor, yes?”

“Yes,” Loki said, focusing his attention back to the call. “She didn’t say anything about charity works, but she is not afraid of the darker parts of life. Perhaps she was…”

“Ay,” Herschel agreed, “but if someone’s taken her for sport, the girls around there will know.”

Loki swallowed hard. He didn’t want to think of that possibility, but it was not unlikely in London. The horrid thought was interrupted by an escalation in Jane’s voice coming through the hall before she suddenly burst out of the room in tears, Thor stepping quickly behind her.

“No,” she cried, shaking her head, “it is not true, I do not believe. She would have told me. I would have known!”

“I must go,” Loki said quickly. “I will call you after I search the house.” He hung up quickly and went to meet Thor and Jane at the far end of the foyer. “What is it?” he asked impatiently.

Thor was holding Jane in his arms and she was sobbing against his chest, mumbling something to herself. Thor frowned and jerked his head back towards the study. Loki went with great hesitation. He found Erik looking quite pale and pained, and Odin stewing at his desk. The butler looked a bit smug and the maid looked terrified.

“What is it?” he asked again, hoping this time someone would respond to him.

“Tell him,” Odin snarled. “I knew it,” he muttered to himself. “These things don’t just happen. She has brought this on herself. She is probably off somewhere having a laugh at us now.”

“Brought what on herself?” Loki exclaimed.

“Sir,” the butler said, turning towards Loki and holding the maid tightly by the elbow, “I have interviewed all the servants as to their knowledge of the comings and goings of Miss Lewis.”

“And?” Loki asked impatiently.

“Sir, Katie here has some most disturbing information.”

Loki narrowed his eyes at the trembling girl. She seemed to shrink even more under his gaze. “Yes,” he prompted.

“Sir,” she said softly, her voice barely a whisper, “I’ve heard of Miss Lewis from Darby.” She paused for long enough to prompt Loki to beg her to continue.

“And who is Darby?”

“He drives a carriage in these parts. Often drives the lords and ladies home from Lord Odinson’s parties.”

“And?”

“And he drove Miss Lewis some weeks ago. Darby says she went after a man from the party. Followed him home. He suspects they are...connected.” Her face was beet red at having to give this particular information in a room full of men and even more so to be saying it at all. To insinuate that one of the family, or practically such, was engaged in improper relations was likely to get her fired.

Loki’s first reaction was hot bile rising to the back of his throat. He did not believe that Darcy was carrying on with some man from that party. That was the party when they had danced, when he had touched her, when they had said words to each other. It was also the party where Darcy had given away what she knew of Loki’s burdens.

“I knew it,” Odin grumbled again. “Impertinent, impatient little thing. Erik,” he yelled, “we should have better seen to her character before we brought her out.”

“Odin,” Erik said tiredly, “we do not know if this is true.”

“It is the most likely possibility, is it not?” he continued. “She’s been seduced by  some cad, or perhaps she’s done the seducing! Either way, she is a poor connection for this family…"

Loki could not hear one more minute of it. He stormed out of the room before suddenly turning on his heel and stalking back to poor, shaking Katie.

“Your Darby,” he said, “where did he take her? The night of the party?”

“I…” Katie stammered, flustered at having Loki so close and so demanding in front of her.

“Think of it?” he exclaimed, shaking her by the shoulder. “Remember where you were when he told you. See it in your mind!”

Katie went glassy eyed for a moment before her gaze refocused on Loki. “St. Paul’s” she whispered.

Loki practically flew out the front door. He ran so fast, he almost missed the the envelope laying on the stoop of the house. He stepped on it and the slight change in texture underfoot and the crinkling sound of paper caught his attention.

Inside was simply a picture. For the third time that day, Loki felt like he might be sick. A woman, laying on a dirty mattress, her wrists bound and tied to the bed frame, her ankles the same. The picture was good enough quality to know for sure that it was Darcy. The woman’s long brown hair hung in her face.  
  
But from the message on the back, Loki felt sure he knew.

_You have an appointment with a rooftop in Camden at 5pm. We will see you at the steps of St. Paul’s, 4pm. We wouldn’t want you to be late._


	12. Chapter 12

Loki arrived at St. Paul’s 20 minutes early. He occupied his time by chain smoking in the garden, tapping his foot on the ground, and working out what was to be done. Obviously, Crawford was holding Darcy hostage. He wanted the assassination done and he wanted it done that day. Loki knew exactly what would come next. Crawford would go with him to the rooftop, wait for a man that would never appear, and then they would have to negotiate. How that negotiation took place would depend on what information Loki was able to get from him now.

At two minutes to the hour he moved to a bench at the base of the steps. It was the end of the work day and the streets were crowded with people heading home. Knowing there was nothing more to do but prepare himself to play games with Crawford, he tipped his head back into the sun and closed his eyes. He waited silently for a shadow to cast itself over him.

He didn’t have to wait long and he raised his head as he felt the added weight shift the bench beneath him.

“Why did you take her?”

“My,” Crawford tsked, “you certainly don’t waste time.” Loki simply responded with a glare so Crawford shrugged his shoulders in response. “Because she was bothering me.”

“What?” Loki questioned.

“I have to admit that I didn’t even know who she was,” he said, turning towards Loki on the bench and crossing his legs. “I remembered her from the dinner, how could you not, she’s a beautiful woman, but of course I had no idea she meant something to you. Not until I saw you burst into your father’s house with hell’s fury at your heels although I still had my doubts when I left the envelope on the stoop. She is yours, no? Or at least, you’d like her to be.”

Loki refused to respond to his provocation. “Where did you find her?”

“She came to me.”

Loki didn’t bother to contain his surprise. “How?” he asked.

“She’s been sitting on my house for several weeks now. She’s quite impressive,” he admitted, taking a cigarette case out of his breast pocket. “She never came at the same time of day, she never dressed the same, she never sat in the same place. An amateur would not have realized that we were being surveilled, but you must know that my household staff are not amateurs. She was discovered almost immediately, but I let her sit and watch. There was nothing going on of any meaning that she could report back to you.”

“Well then I’m afraid you’ve wasted everyone’s time,” Loki said coolly, taking a drag from his cigarette. “She does not work for me or with me. She is just a girl with a crush, a too large imagination, and too much time on her hands.”

“What do you mean?” Crawford said, momentarily thrown by Loki’s admission.

“She is Selvig’s niece, which I’m sure you know. She came here from Chicago earlier this year and I’m afraid she finds the life of an English young lady to be quite boring. Rather than sit and stitch away the afternoon, she prefers to galavant in dangerous neighborhoods and invent dramatic adventures. I am not sure why she turned her attention to you. Perhaps she does have an innate ability to sense out putrefied intentions.”

Loki smiled inwardly as Crawford chewed his lip and turned away. This conversation was not going the way he had expected. Loki knew he wanted him to beg for Darcy’s life. That was not a strategy that Loki was willing to employ.

“Really, as you said, what could she tell me?” Loki asked plaintively. “More importantly, what could I need to know? She’s simply over excitable. I will admit that she had her suspicions about our connection and because she has set her intentions on me, she most likely is simply trying to find out where I am for weeks on end when I refuse to attend to her capricious desires for folly.”

Crawford looked at Loki as if he had two heads. “She begs me to take her out,” Loki said, spitting a piece of tobacco off his tongue. “In all honesty, she is quite annoying.” He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep the fact that they were trembling slightly out of Crawford eye sight. Now came the most important lie of all.

“Honestly, she is nothing to me,” Loki said, gazing across the street. “Keeping her, whatever you are doing, does not inspire me to action, if I was able to act, which I have insisted to you has not been possible. However, she is much missed by her family, and Erik is important to me, hence my haste to address this. Let us work something out for her release. There is no need to keep her further.”

“She is the only piece of leverage I have over you Loki, why would I let her go?”

“She is not the only piece, in fact she is the less valuable piece. And while I am sure that Thor and my father will eventually survive the illumination of dark family secrets and the subsequent humiliation, I am not sure that the fragile mind of Erik Selvig will survive the disappearance and torture of his only niece. So, I am prepared, if need be, to do some damage to get her back.”

“Meaning?”

“You are not the only one capable to telling secrets to people who wish to hear them” Loki said quietly.

“You would destroy…”

“If you give me no choice, but I think you will want to,” Loki eased.

“I want you to complete your mission.”

“Then meet me at the rooftop in one hour and let us see if we can come up with a new solution, one that meets all the required needs.”

\--------

Crawford watched the street below them with steadfast attention. Loki had to admire his committment. He simply leaned back against the wall and smoked his hundredth cigarette of the day.

“I told you,” Loki said with absolute seriousness, “he hasn’t been here all week. He’s changed his routine.”

“You’ve tipped him off,” Crawford insisted.

“Why would I do that?”

“You said you didn’t want to kill him.”

“I said I didn’t want to work for you,” Loki smiled. “They are not the same thing. I feel nothing about the idea of killing him. What is one more dead man in his majesty’s service.”

“How do you explain this then?” Crawford demanded. “The same routine for weeks and now suddenly he’s disappeared?”

“Have you heard anything,” Loki said, turning away from him to appear pensive, “about movement in the party?”

“Which party?”

“The communists, the international” Loki said, feigning exasperation. Immediately he sensed something off in Crawford’s stance. He had never said anything more than just kill the man, no word on his affiliations. “Or, I don’t know, maybe the IRA.”

“The IRA?” Crawford murmured.

“Because he must be involved, no?,” Loki insisted. “They’re all comrades or whatever the fuck they call themselves. You did want him for sedition, no?”

“The trade union is enough to mark him. If he’s collaborating with the Republicans than all the better he die in the street,” Crawford spit.

Loki nodded. “If he’s changed his routine then maybe they are behind it.”

“Do you suspect they have their eyes on him?”

Loki seized his opportunity. “There was another man, I assumed he was one of yours. Checking up on me.”

“Where? When?”

“At the docks, in the alleyways. I saw him often. He’s not very good at his job.”

“He’s not mine.”

“Then he’s theirs. They’ve been watching him.”

“As a threat?”

“Or to protect him,” Loki hazzard. “If I saw him there’s a chance he saw me. Maybe he realized he was being cased and he’s gone underground.”

“Fuck!” Crawford yelled, kicking his foot through the accumulated dirt and gravel on the rooftop. Loki smiled to himself through Crawford’s explosion. The man had come undone.

“Look,” Loki said, “give me one day to work my contacts, find out where he is, and come up with a new plan. Meet me here, this time, tomorrow.”

“And you’ll carry it out?”

“Depends.”

“On?”

“Miss Lewis,” Loki demanded.

“When it’s done.”

“No.”

Crawford smiled. “You aren’t in the position to negotiate.”

“Neither are you. You want him dead and we don’t even know if he’s still in the bloody country. I get you the intel, you give her back. The rules of the game are changing Crawford.”

“I could just have someone kill you,” he spit.

“What for?” Loki smiled. “That’s no fun. You enjoy this back and forth we have. Come now, let’s make a new plan to get your man in the meantime, give me back the girl. She’s harmless and by now I’m sure you are sick of the sound of her voice.”

Crawford sighed. “She is bloody demanding.” Loki smiled; that’s my Darcy he thought to himself.

“In the meantime,” Loki murmured, “maybe you can untie her.”

Crawford turned to him and glared. “I will admit she is a bit worse for wear. It took us the first two days to realize she knew nothing. I’ll leave her be...but you have one fucking day,” he growled. Then he spit at the ground, turned sharply, and left Loki standing alone.

\-------------

Herschel was just coming out of his office when Loki arrived at the pub. He turned and followed Loki back through the door.

“How is he?” Loki asked.

“Actually feeling quite generous,” Herschel said with surprise. “Once I explained that we were lifting him for his own good he got much more cooperative.”

“And,” Loki pressed, lighting a cigarette.

“And I cleared his family out to Whitechapel. They’ll be fine till this blows over.”

“You’re a softie,” Loki smirked.

“Shut the fuck up,” Herschel muttered as Loki began riffling through his desk for paper. “What’s next?”

“We need to start a few rumours and they need to spread fast,” Loki said. “Also, we’re going to need a few corpses.”

Herschel leaned back in his chair with a smile. “Aw, are we having a party?”

“Something like that,” Loki said, taking a long drag off his cigarette.

“And what about Darcy?” Herschel asked, his face turning worried as he watched the darkness cross Loki’s face.

“One more day,” he replied, already scribbling on the only piece of blank paper.

\--------------

“So this is what you have?” Crawford said, reading over the page.

“Ay,” Loki nodded currently

“You don’t know where he is? You don’t know where they are keeping him?”

“I do.”

“Well bloody hand it over!” Crawford hissed.

“No. Miss Lewis,” Loki insisted.

“And then you’ll do it.”

“It’ll be done,” he replied.

“Collateral?” Crawford asked.

“What’s a few dead Russians,” Loki shrugged. “We don’t like them anyway.”

“Fine,” Crawford relented, “5am. Lambeth docks. This address.”

\--------------

Loki stood across the street from the barred door at the appointed address. It was 5am; he’d been there for half an hour, a hired car idling only steps away. With every drag on his cigarette, he grew more anxious that he was being hoodwinked yet again. He would not put it past Crawford to hold Darcy for ransom until the deed was done. He would not put it past him to never let Darcy Lewis ever see the light of day again. That was what terrified Loki the most.

But then, suddenly, the sound of metal grating on metal torn through the breaking daylight. Loki let out a deep breath and threw the stub of his cigarette away, taking a moment to again check the time on his pocketwatch. This had to be her.

The thick iron bar across the door lifted slowly and the door began to move outwards. It opened just long enough for a hefty arm to shove Darcy out into the street. She stumbled sideways, her face blank as she turned towards a voice from inside. Loki was already moving towards her, taking in her appearance. Her dress was ripped in places, hanging off her like rags. Her stockings were visibly torn as well, he could see them through the tatters of her skirt. Her hair was dirty and it hung listlessly around her shoulders. Dark circles, swollen lips, a bruised cheek. Fingertip shaped bruises around her jaw and throat. Loki clenched his fists as he increased his pace.

Darcy turned her sunken eyes away from her captors just in time to see Loki appear in front of her. She felt herself caught up in his arms, anchored strongly around her back, holding her against him fiercely. She tried to say his name, but her throat was too dry from lack of drink and too rough from endless crying. He didn’t say anything at the froggish noise that came from her. He simply kissed her temple and then she felt herself being lifted weightlessly in his arms. Her face fell into his neck as she tried to mumble his name again. She heard the sound of the engine of a car, felt herself being pressed into the seat, and heard the slam of the door. She felt nothing for only a few seconds and then another door opened, the car shifted with someone’s weight, and again she felt herself pulled against Loki’s chest.

“Camden High Street” was the last thing she heard before silence and darkness took over.


	13. Chapter 13

Ida let out a long breath as she descended the stairs. Darcy was finally resting, but someone had worked her over well. She was hesitant to tell Loki the extent of Darcy’s injuries, but she knew she couldn’t keep it from him.

She opened the door to her kitchen, hoping for a moment to deposit the bloody rags before she faced him in the parlor. But he was there, huddled at the small table in front of the fire, a cigarette between his fingers and a glass of whiskey just within reach.

“It’s not even 7am,” Ida said slowly, eyeing the drink and turning her back to him. She placed the basin in the washtub and poured water over the dirty rags. Maybe she could wash them a bit before he saw.

“Well,” replied Loki, taking a drag of his cigarette and leaning back in his chair, “I haven’t been to bed in several days so it doesn’t really count as first thing in the morning.”

“You’ve been looking for her?” Ida asked.

“And I found her,” he said, looking into the fire. “The question, Ida, is in what condition did I find her?”

Ida let out a sigh and turned around. “I think you know,” she said quietly.

“What more than her face? Her throat?” he asked, motioning towards his own body with a few fingers.

“There are bruises…”

“Where?”

“Everywhere. And some cuts. Scratches. A dislocated finger. Her knees are torn up. Marks on her wrists.”

Loki threw his head back and growled. “What kind of fucking barbaric hun would do that to a woman?”

“An English one,” Ida snapped. “I’ve seen plenty of this and worse. Men care little for the pain they cause women, and some of them even enjoy it.” Loki felt a hard stab in his stomach. He had never touched a woman in anger, but it didn’t mean he hadn’t hurt them. Ida was right about that.

“I know you have Ida,” he sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. “Is she asleep?”

“Yes. I don’t think they fed her or let her sleep. Or even gave her much water.”

“For three days?”

“Given the cracks in her lips and the yellow creeping into her eyes? Yes. She drank so much so fast it all just came right back up.”

“Jesus christ,” he groaned. They stayed silent for a minute, Ida back to her washing and Loki back to his smoking. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ida pull a small plant from her window ledge. She picked leaves here and there, assembling a small pile on the counter. “What else Ida?” he asked quietly, eyeing the small pile of leaves. She simply ignored him, making the pile larger by the second. “Please?” he demanded.

“I cannot be sure until she is fully awake, but I’m going to make her a pennyroyal tea.”

“What?” Loki hissed.

“Some of the bruises are in places...they make me think she might be in need of bringing on a bleeding. Just to be safe.”

Loki threw back the remaining bit of whiskey in his glass and stood so quickly his chair fell over. The glass was throw, rather sharply, into the fire and with a great deal of knocking about, he was out of the kitchen and stomping up the steps.

“Quiet!” Ida yelled, “She’s sleeping!”

Loki paused on the stairwell, hoping he hadn’t disturbed Darcy’s rest in his rage. He was exhausted as well, his entire body ached and his mind was finally starting to feel foggy. Adrenaline had gotten him through the ordeal, allowing him to focus on the plan or at least enough so that it looked like an actual plan and not some bullshit. It was apparently good enough to get her back.

He stopped at the top of the stairs and slipped off his shoes. Silently he padded down the hall to the cracked door at the far end, facing the back of the house. It was the quietest room in the house and had nice big windows. It also had a large bed, big enough for her to roll around and feel comfortable in. Loki never wanted her to feel caged again; he knew all too well what that felt like.

As quietly as possible he placed his shoes at the end of her bed and gazed at the pile of dark hair sunken into the sheets. He could just see her face amongst the pillows. Even in sleep, even abused and wrung out as she was, he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. Her pale cheeks were graced with long lashes, framed in now-clean hair that Ida had washed and dried. Her lips, still rosy and chapped, but moistened with some balm were parted just slightly, letting out the tiniest puffs of breath as she slept. The room smelled faintly of lavender and he knew Ida had taken the greatest care of the woman he now had to admit he was completely in love with.

He collapsed in the chair closest to her and slumped down, his eyes growing heavy now that she was in front of him and she was safe. He had a passing thought that he should ring Erik and Thor and let them know he had her, but as soon as the thought arrived it passed into nothingness and he felt himself drifting off to sleep, comforted by the sound of Darcy breathing.

\--------------------

The growl of his own stomach awoke him. By the amount of light streaming into the room, he could tell it was midday. Darcy was still asleep, she had only rolled the tiniest bit to her side, revealing more of her face. Loki leaned over and rested his elbows on the bed, his eyes examining every part of her face. Only when the growling of his stomach got so loud he thought he might wake her did he bother to get up and go down stairs. He really didn’t want to leave her.

The smells of Ida’s cooking, something that had comforted him many times, hit him as he set off down the stairs. His moved quicker, his stomach pulling him along, and he startled her when he burst into the kitchen.

“Jesus Christ Loki!” she gasped, clutching at her chest as she turned from her countertop.

“What’s this?” he asked, opening pots and seeking out the source of the incredible smell.

“That’s broth for Darcy,” Ida said, turning back to her work. “There’s a pie in the oven for you. It’ll be done in a moment. When was the last time you ate?”

“I don’t know, but I’m starving,” he said, rubbing his stomach.

“Eat the bread.”

Loki turned back to the table and tucked into a plate of bread, cheese, and apples Ida had laid out. He got up for a cup of tea and paused to give her a peck on the cheek.

“Thank you for taking care of us,” he said quietly, taking his seat again.

She made a small noise of acknowledgement, but Loki didn’t miss the pleased look that crossed her face. Ida was the closest thing he’d had to a mother for years and it made him feel good to take care of her. And he knew she felt safe knowing she would never have to worry about money or protection. The fact that Loki happened to bring grim things across her doorstep didn’t seem to phase her at all. And he made up for, as much as he good, Daniel’s absence.

“That’ll be your pie” she said, bending down to pull it from the oven. She placed it on a trivet on the table and Loki immediately picked up his fork. “It’ll be hot!” she exclaimed. “Be patient.”

“I’m not good at being patient,” Loki smirked.

“I know that,” she replied, smiling. She sat down across from him and watched as he made a little sandwich out of a hunk cheese and two pieces of bread. “Loki,” she said slowly, “who is she?”

“What?” he asked, chewing slowly and swallowing a little. She only gave him a pointed look and he cleared his throat. “You know who she is. She’s Erik Selvig’s niece. She’s a friend of the family.”

“Why is she here in my house and in the state she’s in? Who did that to her? And, more importantly, while that may be who she is, you have not said who she is to you.”

Loki sighed and stabbed at his pie dejectedly with his fork, watching the steam rise in thick wafts. “Crawford did it to her,” he said quietly, feeling the bile rise in his throat. Just the thought of the man was enough to put him off his lunch.

Ida straightened herself in her chair. The man was dangerous, she had always known that. “Why did he do that to her?”

“She was ransom.”

“For what?”

“For me to do a task for him, something I have not wanted to do.”

“So he took her?”

“I believe she was following him. Darcy has been...eager to understand what is going on in my life.”

“And why is that?”

“She...has expressed...certain interests.”

Ida smiled slightly, knowing it would be hard for Loki to accept the fact. “She’s in love with you.”

“Yes. Or at least I think so.”

Ida’s smile grew. “She didn’t say?”

Loki shifted uncomfortably in his chair. This was maybe the one subject he had not discussed with Ida. “Not exactly,” he mumbled.

“I see,” Ida said, brushing her hands across her lap. “And how do you feel about her?”

“I…” Loki’s face twitched and crumpled in discomfort.

Ida reached a hand across the table and grabbed his wrist. His eyes caught hers and in them he saw no hint of ridicule or disbelief.

“Say it out loud,” she smiled. “Make it real, for you and for her. It’s only the two of you that matter in the end.”

“I think I love her,” he sighed, dropping his head. “And I think she loves me, although I don’t know why and I may have driven her off.”

“Oh, don’t be so stupid,” Ida exclaimed getting up from the table to stir Darcy’s broth. She headed over to the counter and picked up a bowl of finely chopped vegetables to add to the pot. “I know you have some kind of complex growing up next to that shiny pretty brother of yours, but if you’d stop with the chip on your shoulder you would realize that quite a few ladies around here fancy you. Not that you should pay them any particular mind,” she said, glancing over her shoulder.

“You’re smart, funny in a wicked sort of way, you can be kind when you want to be, and you’re as handsome as a new morning. Especially when you smile. And if you’ve spent time with her, which I think you have, than Darcy probably also knows that you have a big heart that you try and convince everyone else is small. That you protect the people you love, that you don’t shit all over someone of less stature than yourself, and that you are just, well, interesting.”

“Ida,” Loki smirked, “you’re gonna make me blush.”

“You’re so full of shit,” she laughed, turning back to Darcy’s soup. “Eat your bloody pie.”

Almost an hour later, after Loki had helped with the dishes, they heard the soft patter of footsteps above them. Ida hurried out of the room, wiping her hands on her apron. “Give us a few minutes and then come up with a bowl of that soup,” she called.

Those minutes were some  of the hardest of Loki’s life. He wanted to run to her, he needed to see her and hear her voice. He wanted to hold her. He could hear them shuffling around, in and out of the toilet, and then he heard the squeak of the mattress as Darcy eased back into bed. He hurriedly found a tray on which he put a napkin, spoon, knife, plate with bread and butter, and a medium sized bowl. He ladled in some of Ida’s barley soup and at the last minute pulled a daisy from the vase on her window ledge. He could only find a water cup to put it in, but that would have to do.

He climbed the stairs slowly, careful not to spill any soup and then he hovered just outside the door as he heard Ida speaking gently to Darcy and settling her back in bed.

“Now just a moment dear,” she said softly, “and we’ll get some food in you.”

“I don’t want to be sick again,” Darcy said quietly, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s no trouble dear, and you won’t be. Just take it slow this time.”

Taking that as his cue, Loki pushed the door open with his foot and approached tray first into the room.

“There he is now,” Ida said with a happy smile. “Does that make you feel better?” she asked, stroking Darcy’s hair.

“Yes,” she smiled softly, her eyes catching Loki’s and refusing to look away. Loki smiled sheepishly and put the tray down on the side table. He helped her sit up so she was comfortable and then moved the tray over her lap. Darcy’s eyes went wide as she looked over the spread. “You shouldn’t have,” she said quietly, a slight tear making its way out of the corner of her eye.

“Hush,” said Ida, “of course we should. Now dear, I’ll go get you some more water, but Loki will stay with you while you eat. Just take it slow. One sip at a time.” Ida smiled once more before heading for the door. Loki rose quickly and followed her to the hall.

“Water?” he asked. “No tea?”

“No need for tea,” she said, her eyes revealing her relief. She patted Loki on the arm. “At least there is that.”

\---------------

Darcy ate half the bowl, slowly and with very little interruption from Loki. After awkwardly lingering at the edge of her bed, she simply patted the mattress next to her and he scooted into her side. He wrapped an arm around her and encouraged her to eat, biting his tongue from asking the questions he wanted and needed to ask. Instead he leaned his head into hers, smelling the clean smell of her hair, and running his fingers through the soft tendrils. It was the most amount of affection he had ever displayed for her and Darcy quietly let it go on uninterrupted, hoping deeply that he needed to be comforted by her presence as much as she needed it from him.

When she had eaten all that she could, she had just enough strength to turn into Loki’s arms and relax into his chest. Immediately he wrapped her in his arms, stroking her hair until she fell asleep. Even though they exchanged no words, Darcy didn’t have the energy, it was as if their last conversation had never happened. They stayed that way until Ida came to check on them and then, with her help, Loki put Darcy back to bed and cleaned away the tray.

It was late afternoon by the time he stepped out into the street. He was starting to feel like a vampire, living at night, prowling the streets, searching for blood. He lit a cigarette and walked around the corner to the pub.

Inside he found the usual cast of characters and for the first time he found their presence suffocating. Nowhere near that of his family, but he suddenly had the sense that he was in need of a different kind of life. Herschel shouted to him from the bar, but he simply waved his hand and headed towards the back office, yelling at the bar maid to bring him a cup of tea. He closed the door behind him and sat down at the desk, staring at the phone and working out silently the phone call he was about to make.

“Thor…”

“I know Jane is frantic...that is why I’m…”

“I know the policeman knows nothing. Listen here…”

“No, father does not need to hire a private investigator. Thor, will you shut up and listen! I found her.”

“In Camden. Actually, she was in Lambeth, but she is in Camden now.”

“Because friends of mine here are the ones who tracked her down. I’m afraid...I’m afraid her disappearance has something to do with my business here.” I’ll fall on the sword, he thought to himself. It’ll give them something to talk about at dinner.

“She is fine, she is well. She is a little bruised and tired, undernourished. She is being cared for by the women here. She is very well watched over.”

He could hear Thor relay all of this to Jane and Erik and was not surprised at the shouting he heard in the background. He was quite sure he heard Jane demand the phone.

“Listen, Thor, she needs to rest. I will stay here with her until she is recuperated enough to come home. Just another day or two. Tell Jane she is fine and resting. She is safe.”

With that he ended the call feeling no need to drag any of it out any further. They would blame him, they had from the start already and it was his fault, just not for the reasons they suspected. The only opinion he cared about was Erik’s and he hoped one day he would be able to tell him everything. He was very close to telling Darcy and then it would make little difference to tell Erik.

He sighed heavily and finished his cigarette in silence. When he emerged from the back room, a small group of men were gathered at the bar speaking in whispered tones with Herschel.

Loki dropped into a seat close by and tapped a cigarette on the bar as Herschel finished his conversation with the men.

“Well just keep them on ice for now,” Herschel said as he turned away. He pulled a beer and set it in front of Loki who was now digging in his pocket for a light.

“How is she?” Herschel asked.

“Much better. Ida’s looking after her. She’ll be sorted out soon.”

“Very good,” Herschel nodded. “And the plan for Crawford?”

“I’m going to let him stew for a few days.”

Herschel frowned, but nodded along. “Not too long I hope or we’ll have to find some new guests for your party. They’re fresh now, but they won’t stay that way.”

“It’s fine,” Loki said, lighting his cigarette and taking a deep drag. “They are all going to burn anyway.”


	14. Chapter 14

Darcy could hear someone moaning and not in a good way. They were moaning in pain, exhaustion, half-conscious. She herself was in a dark hallway, part of some larger labyrinth, and every corner she turned in search of the moaning seemed to take her one step closer and then one step farther away. It was a man, she was sure of it, but she did not feel scared.

Suddenly the voice grew louder and it started to weakly form words. “Where is he?” the voice gasped, groaning in pain. Darcy felt a shiver go down her spine because now she was sure she knew who she was searching for; she would know Loki’s voice anywhere. She had heard him in her dreams often enough.

She walked faster, almost running, tearing around corners and unable to find light or air. There was only his voice and the closer she got to him the more his moan surrounded her as if they came from all directions. She blindly turned a corner and felt herself collide with a hard wall. Turning around there was nowhere else to go.

Darcy’s eyes floated open and she felt an ache throughout her body, as if she had actually thrown herself against the heavy wooden wall. She blinked several times and took a deep breath, remembering that she was safe and well at Ida’s house. But the moaning in her dream had not stopped. It was lower and peppered with whimpers and it was closer than she remembered.

She sat up slowly and felt a presence near her. Turning to the edge of the bed, she saw the outline of him in the dark. Loki was sprawled out in a chair next to her bed, his long body awkwardly half-sitting in the too-small chair. His head was thrown back, but his face was scrunched as if he was in pain. He was having a nightmare and he could not pull himself out of it.

Darcy silently threw the covers back from the bed and eased herself off the mattress. She stopped to quickly fluff the pillows and then she crouched down in front of Loki. As quickly and quietly as she could, she unlaced his shoes and slipped them off his feat. She smiled to herself; he had huge feet. Then she she lifted his hand to her face and kissed his palm. She whispered his name in between soft kisses until she felt his body relax a bit. Then she stood and leaned over him, kissing his brow and his temple, stroking his hair.

“Loki,” she whispered, “come to bed.” He wasn’t awake yet, so she kept up her gentle attention until his eyes fluttered open and closed again. He wasn’t really awake. She thought back over the past few days; he must have been looking for her, he must be exhausted.

She kissed his face again and ran her hands down from his shoulders to his elbow before gently tugging up. “Come to bed,” she whispered again. This time Loki seemed to understand and he leaned forward in his chair. She grasped his hands and backed up, pulling him forward until she had to climb onto the bed. She scooted to the far side, sliding under the blanket and holding it up for him. Loki simply collapsed in the bed on his back, but on top of the blankets. She smiled happily and thankfully that it wasn’t a cold night. She tucked them both in as best she could and then, not wanting to startle him awake, she rolled over on her side and tried to go back to sleep. She wasn’t able to, however, until she felt him let out a deep sigh, roll over, and wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her against him as he slipped deeper into sleep.

\-----------

The morning was the most beautiful that Darcy could remember, maybe in her whole life. She awoke early, having slept most of the previous day. The sun was just peaking through the drawn curtains, themselves not thick enough to block the strong rays completely. She longed to get up, thrown them open and then crawl back into bed, but she didn’t dare move. Loki was clinging to her, had wrapped himself around her in his sleep, and she had never felt better in the arms of another human being. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, his chest against her back, his hips against hers. She bit her lip at the twitches she felt against her bum; he would be embarrassed if he knew so she wouldn’t tell him. She would just enjoy what it felt like to lie in the arms of a man you loved.

She took a deep breath and settled for watching the curtains billow gently in the morning breeze. It provided her glimpses out into the yard and hints of pale blue sky. She tried not to dread the moment he awoke. He would probably hurtle himself out of bed and away from her.

She watched the sun creep across the bedroom flour for probably another hour. She heard Ida moving around in the kitchen downstairs. She heard the streets come to life outside. Loki remained dead asleep, sometimes grumbling or snoring softly. She felt his arms tighten around her at one point and his hips wiggled against her a bit. She smiled to herself; at least he wasn’t having a nightmare anymore.

After a little while longer, she heard Ida on the stairs and then the door to her room eased open slowly. The older woman’s head appeared and she smiled when she saw the couple cocooned on the bed together.

“Are you hungry?” she whispered, moving further into the room so that Darcy could see she was carrying a tray. Darcy nodded softly and felt very grateful that Ida brought a tray of apple slices and soft buns around to her side of the bed. She placed them silently on the table and then smiled at Loki’s dreaming face.

“He doesn’t normally sleep like this,” Ida whispered. “I can hear him at night, up late. He’s either reading or pacing or tossing about. The only time he’s this silent is when he’s drunk.”

Darcy smiled slightly. He might have been drunk, but she would prefer to believe that she and Loki brought each other a bit of peace. That was how she felt anyway. “He had a nightmare last night,” she whispered, reaching out gently for the bread. Even that small movement caused Loki to grunt and hold her tighter. Ida smiled again and nodded.

“He has them most nights,” she replied, going to the wardrobe against the far wall. She removed a small blanket and placed it over Loki’s heavy form.

“About what?” Darcy asked, picking pieces of the bun and eating them slowly.

Ida’s face fell slightly and she bowed her head. “I think you should ask him when he’s up and had some food. There is probably quite a bit the two of you need to tell one another.” Then she gave Darcy a reassuring smile, turned silently, and left.

\-----------------

Finally, Darcy could no longer resist the call of her bladder. She peeled herself out of Loki’s arms as gently as possible and when his face contorted in irritation, she shoved her pillow into his arms. He collapsed back on it slightly and seemed to settle enough for Darcy to tip toe out of the room.

When she returned, she found him sitting up on the bed, sleepily running his hand through his messy hair. He had that dull, sleep soaked look about him as if he wasn’t really awake. Darcy decided it was her opportunity to catch him before he ran away.

She sat down softly next to him, took his hand, and tucked her head onto his shoulder.

“Good morning,” she murmured, gently stroking his hand with her fingertips. A beautiful morning, although now it was almost mid-day.

“Good morning,” he sighed, turning his face in to nuzzle into her hair. He could feel the urge to disappear bubbling in the bottom of his stomach, like acid indigestion, but he pushed it down. Maybe they could be safe, at least for a day, locked away at Ida’s house. “How did you sleep?” he asked.

“Very well,” Darcy smiled, “but maybe not as well as you. You slept…”

“Too long,” he murmured.

“No,” she replied, shaking her head, “deeply, soundly. You needed it and it helped me.”

“Good,” he said, moving to stand up. Darcy whimpered in protest, holding on to his hand. “Loki…” she started.

“I know,” he said, pulling his hand away and straightening out his waistcoat. “You and I have many things to talk about.” Darcy nodded in agreement. “I am going to clean up and find something to eat and then, you and I will spend the day together.”

“The whole day?” Darcy grinned.

“Yes,” Loki nodded. “Darcy we have to talk about what happened to you.”

“I know,” she said, looking down at her hands and feeling guilty about the trouble she’d caused. “But,” she continued, “I also want to talk about you. I think it is time we tell each other truth.”

Loki didn’t say yes or no; he just stared at the wall for a moment. Then he leaned over, kissed her forehead, and left the room.

\----------------

While Loki went downstairs to get some food, Darcy changed into a clean, simple gown that Ida had left out for her. She brushed her hair, used the washroom and cleaned her teeth. She took her time to rub the salve Ida had left on a few of her cuts and her chapped lips. By the time Loki came back upstairs, she was sitting in a pile of pillows on a freshly made bed, looking expectantly at him.

“Um,” he cleared his throat, “Ida has a parlor if you’d like to go downstairs…there’s a fireplace...”

“I’m fine here,” Darcy replied. She had that look in her eyes again, the one that told Loki that he would not easily avoid, dissuade, or cajole her. She meant business.

“Darcy,” he began, “I want to apologize for our last encounter…”

“It’s forgotten,” she interrupted. “I think we are far past it. Come sit.” Loki shifted his weight and looked at his options: a decidedly uncomfortable chair, or join Darcy on the bed. He leaned towards the chair and Darcy spoke up. “Come sit next to me.” She patted the bed next to her and he saw that she had made another nest of pillows that paralleled her own. She already had designs on how this conversation would go.

Loki sighed and made for his side of the bed, easing his weight onto the mattress slowly. He moved around a bit until he got comfortable, realizing he had to recline a bit and then turn his entire body towards Darcy. She had done the same and now he found himself practically laying next to her, able to see her face clearly as she looked up at him and, unfortunately, the swell of her breast if he let his gaze drift downwards. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“It’s my fault,” she sighed, immediately launching into the conversation he didn’t know how to start. He looked down to find her pulling at a loose string on a pillow case, clearly ashamed of what she’d gotten herself into.

“Tell me how it happened,” he said. He took her fidgeting hand and kissed her knuckles. He wanted her to know that he wasn’t angry at her, but he also wanted to know everything that had happened.

“Well,” she sighed, smiling slightly at every bit of affection from him, “the short story is that I thought I could figure out who he was if I followed him home from the party and then watched his house.”

Loki blinked several times in surprise. Crawford had already told him, but it was something else to hear it from her. “Why would you think you could do such a thing?” he asked.

“Because I’ve done it before,” Darcy mumbled. She looked up to find Loki looking at her in utter confusion. “That’s the long version of the story.”

“Tell me,” he insisted.

Darcy huffed and flopped over on her back. She ran her hand over her hair and tried to figure out how where to begin. “I guess…” she drawled, “that the story begins with my family, my brother specifically.”

Loki leaned closer to her in interest and in anticipation. Interest because she had never spoken of her family to him and anticipation that it would be difficult. They were, after all, dead. He might find himself talking about the dead before the day was done and he was eager for he and Darcy to be on equal footing.

“The neighborhood I grew up in was poor,” Darcy started, picking at her fingernails as she spoke. “My father was not quite as lucky as Erik, and most likely not quite as smart. He drove a cart for a grocer, which was good because we never went hungry. He got to take home what couldn’t be sold. But he was...never a happy man. He was quiet, withdrawn. He would have been mysterious if he’d been interesting, but he just shut us out. He came home every night, read the paper and listened to the radio. He didn’t take any interest in Robert or me.”

“Robert was your brother?”

“Yes,” Darcy smiled. She felt a lump start in her throat; it happened every time she thought of him. “Robert didn’t die of the flu,” she continued, “and it wasn’t a robbery. It was a hit.”

“A hit?” Loki asked.

“He was killed, intentionally, assassinated,” she whispered, “by these guys he worked for.”

“Guys he worked for?” Loki pressed.

“The mob,” Darcy exhaled, blinking rapidly, “the mafia, the family, the outfit.”

“Oh,” Loki murmured. He had not expected that particular affiliation in Darcy’s past. “How did he get involved with them?”

Despite her best efforts, tears were leaking from her eyes. “That was my fault too,” she whispered. “My mother always tried to keep us away from them, especially Robert, but while he was away in the war...they offered protection, mostly to me.”

“Protection from what?” Loki asked. Despite his best efforts, his body was not cooperating with his mind. His arm snaked across Darcy’s middle and wrapped around her, tugging her closer to him. He couldn’t stand to see her cry.

“Men,” she huffed. “These street thugs, guys, all the people coming from all the different places. Women just disappeared off the streets! Every week my mother and I heard of someone else who had been raped. Without brothers, fathers, husbands around...some of these guys just thought they could run the streets. And since my father was useless...my mother was afraid. I was afraid.”

Loki pressed his lips together as he thought of the scenes he’d seen across Europe, in Paris and Amsterdam. Similar things, similar problems. Loki tugged her into his chest and his lips found her forehead. Darcy felt like it was finally ok to let some of it out.

“My mother made a deal with a guy who ran the nightclub at the corner. In exchange for protection, Robert would work for him when he came home. That was all it was supposed to be and all his friends were doing it too. These young guys came home, there wasn’t much work, and they starting running errands, loading trucks, so forth and so on.” She took a deep breath and turned her face into Loki’s chest. “But Robert liked it,” she sobbed. “He just went deeper and deeper. One day he disappeared and I found out from some of the other guys that he’d messed up and they’d taken him. So I followed people for weeks until I found out that they had him locked up in a hotel. Apparently he knew some things and they wouldn’t let him out of their sight. I tried to reason with them to send him home, promise that he wouldn’t tell. But they sent me away. The next night, they found him in the gutter.”

“Oh Darcy,” Loki murmured, hugging her to him as she sobbed. “It’s not your fault.”

“He went in for me and I got him killed,” she gasped.

“No, darling, no,” he whispered, leaving nuzzling into her hair. “You did nothing to cause it.”

Slowly, Darcy’s sobs quieted and then she pulled back to look at him. “Because they were probably always going to kill him, right?”

Loki pressed his lips into a thin line. She was right, but he hardly wanted to say that to her.

“You know that, don’t you,” she murmured, “because you know those kinds of things about those kinds of people.”

He sighed and gave a gentle nod. “Yes,” he said, running his hand up and down her back, “I wish I didn’t, but I do.”

“Herschel is one of those people, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” Loki replied. “But he’s also my friend. And yours. He helped find you.”

“I know,” Darcy sighed.

Loki took a deep breath and blinked back tears. It hadn’t occurred to him that after he told Darcy the truth about himself, she might not want him anymore. She might think he was one of those people too, just with a different boss.

“Anyway,” she sighed, brushing a few remaining tears off her cheeks, “I thought that guy, the one with the mustache, was trying to pull you in and I just...I don’t know what I was thinking. I wasn’t thinking. Herschel said he wasn’t a bookie, but I figured he was no good either way and when I saw him at the business dinner I thought he must be more than just some kind of gangster and that probably you were really in trouble.”

Loki let his hand find hers and grasped it tightly. He was moved; he didn’t think many people cared about him as much as Darcy clearly did. He had taken their feelings for each other for granted. He knew this didn’t happen to people everyday.

“So, I sweet talked one of those carriage drivers to help me follow him. I saw where he got dropped off and the house he went into. I started going to follow him a few days later. He doesn’t really do much; go between that house and another, although sometimes he goes into the City and visits banks. He has lunch at this place full of very rich looking men. He doesn’t look like the kind of gangsters I know.”

“That’s because he’s not,” Loki sighed.

Darcy looked up at him and found him staring at the wall behind her. He had a closed, cold look on his face, like he was trying to spit out a word that tasted bitter. She ran her fingers over his clenched jaw and his thinly pressed lips. “Tell me,” she insisted.

Loki swallowed and turned on his back, bringing her with him. Darcy cuddled into his chest, content to hear the sound of his heart thudding against her ear. “His name is Crawford,” he said, “and he works for the government. Specifically, he works for military intelligence.”

“He’s a spy?” Darcy asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Loki replied, feeling his nerves falter. He swallowed again, wishing he had a whiskey to prepare himself. “And so am I.”

“What?” Darcy whispered.

Loki cleared his throat. “I, um, didn’t work for logistics during the war. Thor and I went to volunteer and we were assessed. They sent Thor to the battalion to be an officer and they sent me to a camp on the coast near Ipswich. They told Thor that I would be in logistics in London and he believed him. I didn’t really see him again for the duration of the war.”

“What about your parents?”

“They told them I was with a command at Dover and they wouldn’t be allowed to visit and I wouldn’t be given leave. They told them not to expect to see me.”

“I don’t understand,” Darcy puzzled. It didn’t surprise her that they would pick Loki for something like that but she didn’t understand why he would agree with it. “Why did you do it?” she asked.

“I wanted to disappear,” he shrugged. “I never really got along with Odin, Thor was destined to inherit the company and the estates and I was just a spare son. I wanted my own life and someone came and told me that I would be part of a exciting, clandestine group...it seemed unreal. It seemed like...playing a game or something.”

He paused, trying to figure out how to tell Darcy the rest of it. He hadn’t had to tell these stories in a long time since Ida and Herschel were the only ones to tell.

“I had a training officer at the camp, named Daniel…”

“Your friend. Herschel’s friend,” Darcy whispered.

“And Ida’s son,” Loki finished. Darcy’s face fell as she realized what this wonderful, caring woman had lived through. She knew exactly how she felt to be left behind by the people she loved.

“Poor Ida,” she murmured. “Her child.”

“Herschel and I take care of her,” Loki said, giving Darcy a comforting squeeze. “We make our own family.” Darcy took the opportunity to shift herself fully into his arms and hold him tight. She had a feeling the story was about to get worse and she wanted to hear it all, but she didn’t want him to think she couldn’t handle it.

“Go on,” she said softly, pushing her cheek into his chest.

“Daniel trained me, he taught me everything about espionage. He had been arrested for running with a street gang and then got him that way, pressed him into service. But he loved it too...he was amazing, a ghost. He could be anyone and then just disappear. I wanted to be like him. The day they put us in the field together I was more proud of myself than I’ve ever been.”

He sighed and blinked back tears as he thought of his dead friend, closer to him than his own brother. Then he felt a wave move over him as Darcy’s lips touched his throat and she nuzzled into him, trying to comfort him.

“What happened?” she whispered.

“We were stationed in Amsterdam,” he choked, “trying to get information on supply routes. We had a meeting with a contact on the edge of the city, at a farm. We stayed hold up in  barn for two days waiting for him, but instead a squadron came looking for us. They marched us with them for a week before they turned us over to another battalion.”

Darcy could feel tears falling on her scalp. All she could do was hold him tighter.

Loki huffed and wiped his face. He needn’t go into the entire thing at that moment. She just needed the major parts. “They kept us for weeks,” he continued. “They would take one of us everyday, try to get us to crack, to tell them what we knew. It went on and on. We were barely alive. Then one day they took Daniel and he never came back.”

“Oh god,” Darcy gasped. She buried her face in his chest and rubbed her hand up and down his back.

Loki stayed silent for quite a while and this time she let him. He couldn’t tell her what had happened after that, he didn’t want anyone to know, especially Ida. Herschel knew because he had threatened to beat him to a pulp if he didn’t tell him exactly how Daniel died. Having to tell Herschel what they did to him, how they mutilated him and then left him to rot so they could continue to taught Loki and try to break him, it was too much.

After a while, Loki sighed and began to run his fingers through her hair. “Eventually I was freed,” he said, “well, they left me in a field as the Americans closed in. I made my way across the lines. I was in a field hospital for months. And then, just as I was preparing to come home, I finally received word that my mother had died.”

“Oh Loki,” Darcy whispered. She didn’t think there was anything else she could do to comfort him, so she sat up quickly, grabbed the blanket from the end of the bed and pulled it over them. She brushed his hair from his face and pulled him to her and together they laid in silence and cried over the ones they’d lost.

\---------------

At some point, they must have fallen back asleep. The exhaustion of the previous days was slow to wain from their bodies. They were both roused by the sound of Ida knocking at the door.

“Come you two,” she said, poking her head through. “Come have a proper meal. You both need it.”

Both of them yawning and drained they struggled to get out of bed. Darcy could feel the exhaustion in her bones. At the top of the stairs, Loki stepped in front of her and pulled her arms around his waist, letting her lean her weight into his body. Careful they went, step by step in unison, down the stairs. At the bottom, he tucked her under his arm and they went together towards the kitchen.

“Not there,” Ida called, “we’re a party this evening. Will eat in the parlor.” Loki raised his eyebrows and re-directed them back towards the front of the house. As they stepped through the door, they found Herschel already at the table, eyeing some of the food Ida had laid out.

“Ah!” he said, rising quickly, “there they are. The adventurous two-some.” Darcy smiled shyly and immediately went to Herschel. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

“Thank you,” she said softly, “thank you for finding me.”

Herschel was embarrassed that his only reaction was to mumble and blush and when he caught Loki’s eye he knew that someday soon this moment would be recounted for his amusement.

Dinner was a happy affair. Ida managed to keep the conversation away from darker subjects and focused on telling funny stories of Herschel and Daniel and then Daniel, Herschel, and Loki. She told a few that Loki clearly wished she hadn’t, signalled by his loud groans followed by burying his face in his hands. Darcy loved it. This was the family she wished she’d been with all these months. She loved Jane and Eric, but this was a home with life in it. She had missed it dearly.

After dinner they sat in front of the fire, having a bit of brandy and whiskey. Darcy curled up on a settee next to Loki and sipped her brandy. He put his arm around her and she dipped her head into the curve of his shoulder. She laughed at Herschel’s stories and tried not to get too weepy when Ida spoke of her son. The love was so palpable. She had two glasses of fine brandy and feeling snug and warm tucked in next to Loki by the fire, she eventually felt herself nodding off. It was only when she felt Loki lift her in his arms and take her up to bed that she realized the way she felt was safe at home.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long!

When Darcy awoke the next morning the bed was empty, but still warm. She could tell he had spent the night with her again, likely in his clothes and on top of the blankets. Damn this recovery, she thought to herself, slowly getting out of bed. If I had more energy I could have made better use of having Loki in bed all night.

She sighed as she pulled on her dressing gown and brushed her hair. She knew better than to think it would be so easy to escalate her relationship with him. He was steadfast against it and she couldn’t figure out why. He had told her about his past, he was affectionate with her, or at least as much as he allowed himself, but he still kept his distance. At least when she was awake.

She could hear Ida in the kitchen downstairs and after checking around upstairs for Loki, she sighed and made her way downstairs. There was no sign of him in the parlor, so unless he was in the kitchen with Ida, it didn’t appear that he was home.

As she slowly pushed the door open, the sight at the table brought a smile to her face. It was the same adorable little boy she had found in the market, only this time he was slurping from a glass and chattering to Ida about his beloved horses.

“Hello miss!” he said excitedly as he saw her. He put his cup down on the table and grinned at her from underneath his milk mustache. Darcy smiled in return and came into the room.

“Good morning!” Ida said warmly, reaching out to give Darcy a hug. She pulled back and pushed Darcy’s hair out of her face, looking into her eyes. “Better,” she said happily, patting her cheek, “you’re doing much better.”

“I feel better,” Darcy sighed happily.

“Are you hungry?” Ida asked, motioning to the table. Darcy nodded and pulled a chair, but the little boy promptly climbed up on his knees and patted the place next to him.

“Sit next to me miss!” he demanded, before settling back down in his chair and reaching for his cup again.

“It is Miss Darcy, Gabriel,” Ida admonished, without even turning around. “What do you say to a new acquaintance?”

“Nice to meet you,” Gabriel replied, wiping his face with the back of his hand. Darcy smiled and grabbed a napkin off the table, wiping the milk from his hand and his cheek.

“But we’ve already met, Gabriel, do you remember?” she asked.

“Yep,” he nodded, “at the market. Miss Darcy bought me a chocolate Auntie Ida.”

“Did she?” Ida gasped, turning around and feigning surprise. “Well isn’t she a nice lady.”

“Yep,” Gabriel nodded, “and she very pretty.”

Darcy blushed as Ida set a mug of tea and a bun down in front of her. “She is very pretty, but if you want her favor, I think you might have to fight Loki for it,” she told Gabriel.

Darcy smiled at Gabriel as he thought about it. “Nope,” he said, decidedly, “Loki is very big.”

Darcy and Ida laughed as Gabriel drained his cup and help it out to Ida with an insistent look.

“Would you like more?” Ida asked.

“Yes.” 

“What do you say?”

“Please ma’am thank you.”

Darcy smiled and ruffled his hair. He was too cute. “What are you doing here this morning Gabriel,” she asked.

“Miss Clara yelling lots this morning,” he sighed, pushing his hair out of his face and reaching for a second cup of milk from Ida. “Her baby coming and mummy told me to come tell Auntie Ida.”

“Yes,” Ida said, packing a few things away on the sideboard. “I suspect I’ll be out all afternoon to help deliver the baby. I’ve made a few things here for you and Loki. I hope he’ll be back around mid-day.”

“Oh,” Darcy said, clearly disappointed, “he’s gone?”

“He and Herschel were out first thing this morning. Who knows what the boys get up to. I’ve been busy next door all morning, so I hadn’t the time to ask them.”

“What’s next door?” Darcy asked.

“Ah, the boarding house. When Loki came home, he and Herschel set me up in this house and they took the house next door as well for me to have a little business, a little income.”

Darcy smiled. She loved the way Loki and Herschel took care of Ida and she loved how Ida took care of them. They were the happiest family she’d seen so far in England. 

“Who are your guests?” Darcy asked, chewing her bun slowly. She was still wary of shocking her system with food.

“Well,” Ida said, taking a chair at the table, “I know Loki told you about the girls down the street and how we help them out. When they are ready to leave that line of work, most of them come to the boarding house for a while. I try to keep it a nice place for them, only women and children, no men.”

Darcy reached out and grasped Ida’s hand across the table. “You’re a wonder Ida,” she said. Ida smiled and patted Darcy’s hand.

“I try to do what’s best,” she said, getting up and taking off her apron. “And now I’ve got to be off to see about that baby. Gabriel, finish up your milk love and let’s go home.”

“Uhhh,” Gabriel whined. “Is Miss Clara gonna yell all morning?”

“She might yell all day my dear,” Ida smiled.

“Well, then,” he muttered, picking at the wood grain at the table as he formulated his little idea, “can I stay here with Miss Darcy? I don’t like the yelling.”

“Gabriel, I don’t know…”

“We can play horsies!” His eyes lit up as he remembered his absolute favorite game to play with willing grown ups. 

“Gabriel, Miss Darcy has been ill and I don’t think she’s well enough to play horsies at all. I don’t know if she’s even fine to keep you for a bit…”

“It’s fine,” Darcy smiled, not looking forward to being home alone anyway. “I don’t know if I can play horsies, but I can read stories. And I’m pretty good at drawing pictures.”

“Yeah!” Gabriel chanted, leaping to his feet. “Stories and drawing, stories and drawing!”

“Ok, you both,” Ida smiled, “let’s get you settled in the parlor before I go.

\-------

When Loki and Herschel got back to Ida’s just before lunchtime, they found Darcy and Gabriel sprawled on the floor in the parlor surrounded by pictures drawn on loose paper and cuddled down in a pile of pillows as Darcy read an old, weathered copy of Aesop’s Fables.

“Well hello,” Herschel said as they entered the room.

Gabriel held out his hand in protest. “Hush, this is a good story.” He turned himself back into Darcy and chewed on his finger nails anxiously as he waited for the story’s climax.

“Well excuse me,” Herschel said, throwing his hands up in defense. Loki just smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets and trying not to feel warm on the inside at the sight of Darcy cuddling in her dressing gown with a small child. Gabriel was wrapped around her like she was his own mother, engrossed in her animated storytelling. Darcy gave him a smile as he turned back to the kitchen.

Herschel stayed in the parlor to hear the story while Loki found Ida’s luncheon preparations and set everything out at the dining room table. When he was done, he found Herschel on his hands and knees and Gabriel riding on his back showing Darcy how to play ‘horsie.’ Loki went to her, reaching down to grasp her hands and pull her to her feet. “Come now,” he said, “let’s have something to eat.”

Darcy smiled as she chewed, watching Gabriel interact with Herschel and Loki. He was clearly excited to have all the attention from three adults. The three of them got into an elaborate conversation about, what else, horses and horse races. Darcy silently cleared away the dishes, stacking them in the kitchen while Herschel regaled Gabriel with stories from the race track. Loki followed her in and found her at the sink, humming and washing dishes. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and sink his face into her neck, holding her as she worked. But he knew he couldn’t. Instead he sat at the table and watched, both of them enjoying a bit of silence after the exuberance of a small boy.

Eventually, Herschel and Gabriel came back into the kitchen and announced that they were leaving. Herschel gave Loki a pointed look and then gave Darcy a kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad to see you looking so much better,” he said warmly.

“Thank you,” Darcy grinned before turning to Gabriel. “It was lovely to spend the morning with you, Gabriel.”

“Thank you Miss Darcy,” he said, suddenly shy. Then he let go of Herschel’s hand and ran to her, throwing his arms around her legs in a fierce hug. “I have to go home now and take a nap,” he said glumly.

“It is about that time,” Loki said standing up. “If I know you, you won’t even make it all the way home. Herschel will have to carry you.” With that suggestion, Gabriel turned back to Herschel and lifted his arms up in the air.

“Thanks mate,” Herschel said, hoisting Gabriel up into his arms. “See you later” he called, heading out through the front of the house.

Loki walked him out while Darcy finished up the dishes. When he came back, she was just putting a pot of tea on to steep. “Should we sit in the parlor?” she asked. Loki nodded silently and picked up the tray she’d prepared, suddenly feeling nervous to be alone with her for the first time since their talk the day before.

That sat quietly for a moment, neither of them making a move to speak first. When she could no longer take his silent tea sipping, Darcy dived in with her curiosities.

“Where did you and Herschel go this morning?” she asked carefully.

“To, um, see about a few things in the neighborhood,” he replied.

“A few things related to Crawford?”

Loki sighed and put down his cup. “Darcy, it is best if you don’t know more than necessary when it comes to him.”

“Why?” she pressed. “I’m not going to let myself get kidnapped again.”

“Speaking of getting kidnapped,” he said, “do you think you’ll be ready to go home this evening?”

The look of shock on her face almost broke his heart. He had hurt her feelings, without intending to.

“Do you want me to leave?” she asked, her voice growing weak with emotion.

“No,” he said honestly, shaking his head. “If it were up to me, I would keep you here as long as I could. But Jane demands that you come home.”

“Jane can wait,” Darcy said impatiently. “What do you mean ‘if it were up to you’? Is it not ‘up to you’? You’re the only person I see standing in the way of exactly that.”

Loki narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. He didn’t really want to have this conversation, not at that moment and not ever. “What do you mean?” he asked slowly.

“I’ve made myself perfectly clear on a number of occasion,” she said. “If you asked me, I would stay here with you, stay with you anywhere, for as long as I could.” Loki looked away, in part ashamed. Darcy had been nothing but honest with him since the day they met.

“You and I...it isn’t a good idea…” he mumbled.

“I don’t believe you,” she said, putting her cup down loudly. “I feel you watching me. I know you want to touch me. I know you have to hold yourself back from it. And we were just sharing a bed,” she protested. “And we took a nap yesterday...and you’re the one who fell asleep with me last night.”

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he admitted. “But I was tired and I wanted to make sure you slept…”

“Bollocks,” Darcy said, turning towards him and catching his eye. “Loki,” she said, letting her impatience with him seep into her voice, “you know just as well as I do that we do better when we are together. Loki,” she said gently, reaching for his hand. “I know that you feel the same way I do. Please, I’m asking you again, stop pushing me away.”

“I do not want to push you away,” he said thickly, swallowing the regret in his throat that she had been hurt. “But we can’t.”

“Can’t what?” she asked. Darcy played with his fingers but she looked down, unable to meet his eyes. “I’m not a virgin,” she whispered. “If that is what concerns you...if you don’t want to do that...it is already done.”

Loki swallowed thickly. He hadn’t actually worried very much about Darcy’s virtue, but he was still surprised to hear that she had been with a man. He hoped, from what he had learned earlier in the day, that she had at least wanted the man she was with.

“It isn’t that,” he murmured. His insides felt heavy because as much as he had dreamed that he could make love to her, she was now issuing an invitation, complete with assurance that she knew what she was asking of him. He had to believe her when she said she wanted him; she was not naive about what it meant. “Darcy,” he said, “I don’t want to mislead you. I don’t think, when this is said and done, that we can be together.”

Her face fell. She didn’t even try to hide it. “Why not?” she whispered.

Loki shrugged. Wasn’t it self evident by this point? “It is dangerous around me.”

“No,” she said, “it is dangerous around him.”

“Yesterday when we talked,” he began, “we did not really talk about what must come next. What I have to do to deal with Crawford. Why he took you in the first place.”

“And what do you have to do?” she asked, slowing inching closer to him on the bed. 

“He wants me to kill someone,” he said, all rushed out in one breath. “I have been stalling him, trying to push him off and not do it. But he used you as additional leverage. That’s what Herschel and I have been doing; trying to make a plan.”

Darcy was silent and she mulled over this revelation. She swallowed thickly and looked up at him. “I’m sorry I made it easier for him to force you into something.” Loki couldn’t help himself. He reached out and cupped the back of her head with his hand.

“I’m sorry you got hurt,” he said. “I never wanted that. I never wanted you to be part of this.”

“I made myself part of it,” she replied softly, nodding her head, “because I want to be with you.” Loki closed his eyes and shook his head at her declaration. She decided to change her approach. “What was he using before me?”

“What?” he asked, looking at her for the first time in a few minutes. Her face wasn’t overly emotional. She was being serious. She wanted to know.

“How was he going to get you to do it? Do you still work for them? Do you still take orders?”

“No,” he said, “I don’t work for them. I took a discharge after the war ended. I don’t want anything to do with them. I thought it was all for the good of the country, but...it really wasn’t.”

“I know,” she said, holding his hand in hers. “Wars never are.”

“To answer your question,” he sighed, looking up at the ceiling, “he was blackmailing me.” Darcy felt someone cold form in her stomach. Another secret, another thing he did. So far she hadn’t heard anything that scared her off.

“What is it?” she asked. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything,” he laughed humorlessly. “It is Odin’s secret and it will destroy the business, the family name, Thor’s future.”

“But not your future?”

 

“No. I’m the second son. Everything goes to Thor. The wealth I have is from my mother’s family. But…”

“But you care what happens to your brother.”

“I do,” he admitted. “I don’t want to see him hurt.”

She nodded, feeling the answer to her next question already hanging in the air before her. “So then what will you do?” she asked.

“I will have to leave,” he said sadly. He looked at her and saw the tears forming in her eyes. He turned his body towards her, opening his arms and she moved quickly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and slotting herself against him.

“Why do you have to leave?” she whispered into his neck.

“To get away from him,” Loki sighed. “To be free of them.”

“And you think you have to leave me behind?” she finished for him. She felt him nod and she couldn’t stop the smirk that crept across her face. Over her dead body, literally, would he be leaving her behind. She would go with him, wherever they had to go. She would leave tonight if he asked her.

“Why do you have to leave me?” she asked. “Why can I not go with you?”

“It will be harder to run, to hide,” Loki sighed. “As I said, I have to leave and I have to do it alone.

She pulled back and bit and forced him to look her in the eye. “So right now, when we could be comforting each other, loving each other, you are pushing me away because when all of this is over we may not be able to be together?”

“Yes, I know it seems silly, but I don’t want you to be hurt…”

“I’m already hurt,” she declared. “Every time I want to touch you and you pull away, every time I want to kiss you and you turn your back. Every time you leave me alone. It hurts all the time Loki!”

“But if I have to leave you…”

“Then at least I would know that you loved me!” she shouted, feeling herself getting angry. “At least I would know that I meant something to you, that you don’t want to leave me.”

“I don’t want to leave you!” he yelled in reply. “I want to be with you! I want to take you upstairs and make love to you until the last possible moment. I want us to be together, but I can’t see how Darcy…”

He trailed off as the tears started to drip down her cheeks. “Please don’t cry darling” he murmured, pulling her into his arms. She whimpered his name and held onto him, pulling herself as close as she could without climbing into his lap.

She pushed her tears and gasps down and pulled back from him, drying her eyes with her gown sleeve. “Let me be clear Loki Odinson,” she stated, her voice entirely resolute, “I don’t like it when people make decisions for me.” He opened his mouth to protest, but immediately saw no point. She was right. “If you had asked me what I want, I would have said that I would take whatever time I could have with you, whatever you could give me. I would rather have something of you than nothing. I would rather have good memories than nothing but regrets.”

The logic of her position crashed through him. He had been stupid, foolish. She was so right. Maybe because she was telling him he could have what he had wanted for so long, or because she was giving him permission to be selfish with her. It didn’t matter. In that moment, nothing could stop him from grasping her face in both of his hands and pulling her in for a searingly emotional kiss.

Kissing Darcy was as he had imagined. She was warm and soft and tasted light. She whimpered and pulled at his shirt, pressing herself into him and turning her head slightly to allow him to pull back and then kiss her again. Harder, deeper. She moaned and he felt his body surge. Her fingers bunched in his sleeve and she whispered his name. 

Once he tasted her, there would be no stopping. Maybe he was dreaming, he couldn’t be sure. It certainly felt that way. He had dreamed of all of this many times; to have her shift onto her back and pull him over her, to feel her part her legs so that one of his could fit between them, the way she sunk her fingers into his hair and her kisses grew more insistent. The way she finally flicked her tongue against his lips, silently asking for more.

“Darcy,” he groaned, pulling back just enough to see her face. What he saw there made his stomach clench. She trusted him. She loved him. She wanted him. It suddenly occurred to him that even though she now knew more about him than anyone else in his family, she hadn’t rejected him. She didn’t care that he’d been violent, that he associated with gangsters and prostitutes. 

And then he realized that he didn’t just want Darcy, he needed her. She made him feel less alone in the world. Her pursuit of him, her acceptance, her need. If he could just figure out how to get them both out of this situation, he could be something to her that they both desperately wanted.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice softly pulling him out of his own thoughts. 

“Darcy,” he stumbled, “I…”

“Please don’t say no,” she whispered, reaching forward to kiss the corner of his mouth. He shook his head, his eyes clenching shut at the wave of emotion coursing through him. He had always done his best to push these kinds of feelings aside, not just feelings of love, but anything that made him feel vulnerable. “I know you want me,” she continued, running her hand over his head and cupping his cheek in her hand.

“I do want you,” he nodded, opening his eyes. And then he caught her gaze and he couldn’t look away. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered, “but that may happen no matter what I do. We may both get hurt, if I have to leave, if we can’t be together.”

Darcy felt tears rush to her eyes. This was the closest he had ever come to admitting his feelings for her. Just when she thought she couldn’t ask for more he cupped her cheek in his hand and drew his thumb across her swollen lips.

“I love you Darcy,” he said, “more than I even understand.”

“Loki,” she whimpered, leaning forward to kiss him quickly, “I love you too.”

 

“Are you sure?” he asked, tears stinging at the back of his eyes.

“Yes,” she whispered, brushing her lips softly back and forth over his. 

“Are you sure about this?” he asked again, barely able to breath out of fear that she would say no.

“Yes,” she whispered again, this time leaning up to capture his lips in a searing kiss. He felt her body move away from him before he felt her end the kiss. When he opened his eyes, Darcy was standing in front of him, holding out her hand.

\------------------

Despite all his efforts at resisting it, he found himself standing at the side of Darcy’s bed, his arms wrapped around her, as they traded soft kisses. Those soft kisses, however, grew more heated and more deep until Darcy pulled away. He hadn’t made any move to direct them to the bed, sensing that she should be the one to say what they would be doing and when. Even if she had been aggressive in her attention, that didn’t mean he should treat her as anything other than the precious treasure that she was to him.

She had busied herself with the collar of his shirt, fumbling with the buttons shyly. He planted his lips on her forehead and rocked her gently in his arms. “Darling,” he murmured, “what is it?”

She stayed silent for a minute and he waited, stroking her back lightly with his fingertips. She had finally convinced him that something was better than nothing and now he was determined to make it the best of something Darcy Lewis would ever have, even if in the end they couldn’t be together. Finally, she sighed and looked up into his eyes. “Loki, I said I’m not a virgin, and I know I’ve been flirty with you, but…” she trailed off, suddenly looking shy.

“But what?” he asked softly.

“But I’ve only done it once...and it was fast...and I don’t really know what to do.”

Loki smiled broadly and Darcy buried her face in his chest. “Don’t laugh at me!” she protested.

“I’m not darling,” he chuckled, burying his face in the top of her head. “I’m not. Who was it?”

“A friend of my brother’s,” Darcy groaned, still hiding her face. Loki tugged on her chin until she looked up and he found her making the most adorable pout. He leaned down to kiss her softly.

“Did you enjoy it?” he asked, smoothing her hair back from her face.

“It was ok,” she shrugged.

Loki grinned again. “So the answer is no.”

“It was fine,” she said softly, looking into his eyes.

“Darcy,” he said, his voice starting to drop low out of desire for her, “it ‘fine’ and ‘ok’ are the words you are using than I know it was not the kind of experience you deserve. Did he make you cum?”

“Loki!” she gasped, immediately flushing at his bold language.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Loki smiled, “If we’re going to be together, we should be able to speak of it. So, did he?”

“No,” Darcy mumbled., “not then. A few times, with his fingers,” she trailed off. 

“But do you know what you like? How you like to be touched?” he pressed.

“Loki…” she groaned, trying to hide her face again.

“Do you touch yourself?” he persisted. He had only imagined it a thousand times, the idea of Darcy wrapped up naked in her sheets, writhing on her own hand as she called his name.

“Sometimes,” she mumbled, her face burning.

“Good,” he declared, “you’ll be able to tell me then.” With that he stepped back from her grasp and began to quickly unbutton his waistcoat. Darcy stood watching him for a minute until he tipped her chin again. “Darling, take off your dressing gown and get in bed. I want you to be comfortable.”

Darcy nodded as she slipped the knot from her gown quietly and draped it over the chair. This was not the torrid rending of garments she had expected. But as she slipped under the covers, she was unable to take her eyes off of him. There was something erotic about watching him strip off his waist coat, take off his cufflinks, deposit his shirt on the same chair as her gown. He was down to his undershirt and Darcy got a look at his arms for the first time. They were sculpted and strong, she couldn’t wait to feel them around her, holding her tightly. She clenched her thighs as she felt the first trickles of warmth and wetness grow inside her. Loki sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned over to untie his shoes. She couldn’t help it, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, kissing his bare skin for the first time. After he’d kicked off his shoes, he leaned back in her arms and turned his head to kiss her. It was a more heated kiss than the previous ones they had shared. When he pulled back, Darcy felt her face grow hot and her thighs clench again. “Hurry up,” she whispered.

Now he was looking at her with a hot stare. He stood up and she layed back in bed, wearing only the thin chemise of her nightgown. He watched her as he unbuckled his pants. Her breasts moved as she moved, the thin gown giving him enough to imagine their size and weight more accurately. He couldn’t wait to feel them in his hands. He felt himself grow hard as she stared at him, watching him open his pants and drop them to the floor. Standing in front of her in his underclothes, his cock tenting his shorts, Loki couldn’t no longer remember why he had avoided this for so long, why he had fought so hard against it. 

He pulled back the covers and motioned for her to scoot over. Darcy slid to the center of the bed and Loki climbed in next to her, immediately taking her in his arms to kiss her. Outside they could hear some birds chirping, and a few people yelling in the street. The room was warm enough with the sun that they didn’t really need the covers.

“It feels terrible indulgent,” he murmured against her lips, “to sneak away for the afternoon to make love.” Darcy smiled and cuddled into him, pressing the length of her body against his and feeling herself break out in goosebumps as he began to kiss down her neck and his fingers ran over her hips and back, clutching at her through the nightgown. “But,” he continued, “if you and I were to be together, this is how I would want to spend every afternoon.” He licked his way up to her earlobe before nibbling on it softly. “I would want to be in your arms,” he said, “kissing you, touching you. Tasting you.”

Darcy moaned, she couldn’t help it. Just his gentle touches and soft words were making her grow hot all over. She rubbed her legs together, feeling her wetness start to trickle down from insider her. She wanted to touch him more than anything, so as he continued to nibble behind her ear and lav her skin with his tongue, she pulled up on his undershirt and ran her hands under it and up his chest. It didn’t take much prodding to get him to pull away and pull it off completely.

Darcy took her time, running her hands over his chest, his shoulders, his arms. She let her thumbs trace his ribs, running softly over some scars she found here and there. When she leaned back in to kiss him, she found him more insistent, more needy. She was so focused on her own nerves over going to bed with him that she had forgotten how much acceptance Loki needed from her.

“You’re so strong,” she whispered, pulling his arms around her, “I feel safe here with you.”

His kisses told her how much he felt the same, but then she felt him smiling into their kiss and his fingers started to bunch her nightgown up at her hips. “Safe enough to take this off?” he murmured, again kissing her neck.

She nodded slowly and pulled back. She avoided his eyes as she pulled the chemise up and over her head, momentarily distracted by her long hair. But when she heard him gasp, she quickly tossed the garment away and locked her gaze on his.

He was staring at her breasts, his pupils wide and his gaze hot. His mouth was open and he took several deep breaths. His hand wandered absent mindedly under the sheets and he had to palm his cock quickly through his shorts. A good hard squeeze would back it down from its sudden state of full erection. He almost felt light headed looking at her.

“Dear god Darcy” he groaned, advancing on her slowly, “you’re exquisite. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Darcy only had time to smile slowly before he was kissing her again, hot, hard, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth as he pursued her passionately. The site of her had driven him wild and he needed to be as close to her as possible. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against him, chest to chest, so he could feel her breasts against him as they kissed each other breathless. When they finally had to pull back, he panted at the sight of her lying there, naked in bed with him, her torso fulling exposed with the sheet lying just over hips, obscuring her center from him. He couldn’t wait to touch her there, to taste her. He felt his cock surge again and the sudden brush of fabric against the sensitive tip of his cock made him frown. He reeled back and wiped his shorts off, finding Darcy with her mouth open as she took him in.

Darcy tried to hide her gasp from being as audible as his. He was very beautiful, and very big. If she hadn’t been nervous before, she was now. “Shush darling,” he whispered, gathering her to him again. She felt a bit scared as his cock pressed against her belly; she could feel how hot and hard he truly was. But she also felt herself get even wetter, if that was even possible. God did she want him.

“Don’t worry,” he soothed, pushing her on her back and propping himself over her, keeping their lower halves at a distance from one another. “All in due time.” With that he kissed her sweetly before kissing her with more passion, sucking at her bottom lip until she opened her mouth and let him in. As he kissed her, she felt a hand creep up in her ribs and then cup her breast. She moaned into his kiss and arched her back, pressing her sensitive flesh into his hand. The way he touched her made her squirm with need, her nipples hardening before he even touched them. When he began to brush them with his thumbs, she groaned audibly.

When he began to trail kisses down her throat and between her breasts, she concentrated on controlling her breathing and trying to stem the tidal wave growing inside her. She was embarrassingly wet, and she felt desperate and wanton. She had waited so long for him. When he began to lick her nipples, his warm tongue lapping at the taught skin, she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Oh god Loki,” she moaned, sliding her hand into his hair to hold him close. “That feels…”

“You feel amazing, darling,” he murmured, suckling on one pert, rosy nub. His mouth was so warm and soft if made her flesh ache for more. She didn’t know what she wanted: harder, softer, more of something. Loki seemed to know, however, because while he busied himself with lapping and kissing her breasts, his free hand traveled over her hip and his fingers brushed through the curls between her legs. He began to rub her mound, not pushing into her wetness yet, but nevertheless Darcy felt her legs fall open. The second his finger hit one sticky, tacky curl, he groaned around the hard nipple in his mouth.

“Oh Darcy,” he whispered, looking up at her. “Are you wet darling?” She flushed and nodded, looking away from him. “Don’t,” he scolded, his voice drawing her back. He reached up to kiss her lips as his fingers began to play with her curls and her outer lips. He gave them a tug, moaning as he felt the slick, sweet juices that had seeped out and covered her. “Don’t be embarrassed,” he told her. “I want you like this. I need you like this.”

Suddenly, he pulled back and climbed over her, straddling her and planting his face between her breasts. He kissed and licked his way down to her belly before looking up at her with a sinful grin. “I can do better than fingers,” he smirked, before resuming his descent downward. She wasn’t sure exactly what he meant until he dropped his nose down into the curls at the beginning of her mound and left a wet kiss. He inhaled sharply and groaned, his hot breath spreading across her and making her ache for him all the more.

Darcy felt herself shiver with excitement. He kissed her belly softly and then her mound, but then he traced his nose through her, inhaling deeply again.”God you smell amazing,” he said, almost to himself. He kissed the inside of her thighs, trailed his tongue up the seam of where her leg met her groin. He kneaded her with his hands, causing her to let out a deep moan. “It is a good thing Ida isn’t home,” he teased, causing Darcy to shush him and kick her legs.

She could see him licking his lips in anticipation. Darcy felt herself flush at the way he explored her, practically readying himself for a feast. He spread himself out between her legs, pushing them open and arranging them as he wanted. His thumbs crept up her swollen outer lips and pried them completely open, exposing her fully to him. She tried not to be embarrassed as he looked her over. “So wet,” her murmured, eyeing her glistening flesh greedily. “Is this all for me?” he teased, looking up to catch her eye.

“Who else?” she asked breathlessly, “Who else have I ever wanted as much as I want you?” He didn’t even need to respond. He simply kept his gaze locked on her, placed his tongue at the bottom of her folds so that the tip of his tongue barely teased her entrance, and then he licked a wide, wet trail straight up the center of her slit, taking the last possible second to swirl his tongue around her already aching clit.

He felt her sex pulse against his mouth as she moaned and fell back to the bed. It pleased him to no end to know that her wet little quim was already quivering for him. Darcy Lewis would have no shortage of climaxes with him. He would take every step necessary to make her throb with pleasure. He felt her hands slide into his hair and he grinned. 

It was ecstatic. He could not get enough of her taste. Every drop of her liquid that caught on his lips or his tongue made his cock throb. If he was a lesser man, he would simply flood her sheets with his seed at the mere taste of her. In fact, several times he had to stop because he felt he might actually do just that.

She was greedy for his tongue. She moaned and writhed and ground against him. Loki found himself thrusting against her sheets as the image of her riding his face, burying him in her sex, flooded through his brain. As soon as she fully trusted him, he would insist that she mount his tongue and let him pleasure her till she could no longer stay up straight. 

She was starting to mewl his name and gasp and it was increasingly hard to keep her connected to the bed. He knew she thought she was close, but Loki decided it was time for her to fully feel the wonders of his tongue. He slipped the muscle down to her entrance and began to softly prod the ridges of her opening, slipping it in and out slowly. “Fuck Loki!” she gasped, grabbing the back of his head. 

His only response was a deep moan and then his thumb came down from above and began to softly circle her clit. His tongue went deeper, firmer, searching out something until Darcy felt her thighs contract and her ass lifted involuntarily. Loki groaned again and started to push harder, his tongue working against that sweet spot over and over.

Darcy could only lay there and pant. It was coming slowly, but from the moment he started she knew it would come. This would be one of the most powerful orgasms she’d ever had.

“Oh god Loki...I can’t…” she groaned, her hips bouncing and thrusting of their own accord. She was almost embarrassed by her wantonness, but Loki was moaning her name every time he paused and murmuring how sweet she tasted and how badly he wanted her. 

Suddenly she felt with him withdraw and easily slip two long fingers into her. He quickly found the spot that he was only able to tickle with his tongue. “Look at me Darcy,” he said, kissing his way back to her clit. “Watch us my love, enjoy this.” Keeping his eyes locked on hers, his licked a tiny circle around her clit before pulling it between his lips and suckling gently. Darcy’s body arched off the bed and she felt something hot and wet moving through her center. Before she could even stop herself, she came, her body rolling up to meet Loki’s mouth as his fingers massaged the tender spot inside her. In the back of her mind, she could hear his deep voice groaning and she felt his fingers withdraw and his mouth back at her entrance, his tongue slipping into her softly. His wet fingers were at her hip, holding her open and down as he kissed and tongued her center.

Eventually the waves of pleasure subsided and all she felt was an errant contraction of her muscles. Each time one came Loki grunted in pleasure and she suddenly wanted more from him, even though he’d already given her so much. She tugged on his hair, and after a few tries he started to leave sloppy kisses up her mound and her belly, between her breasts and up her throat, until finally he arrived at her mouth.

He tastes like me, she thought to herself, feeling herself flush at the realization. Suddenly Loki pulled back from their kiss and looked down at her, wide smile and bright eyes.

“How do you feel?” he murmured, nuzzling her softly before stealing another kiss.

“Incredible,” she replied, running her hands up his arms and wrapping them around his shoulders to pull him back down. She wanted more kisses, more of his heat and his weight, just more of him against her. He complied, settling down easy between her wet thighs and wiggling into a spot that he liked. The spot that he liked was to nestle his shaft between the soaked lips of her warm cunt and he groaned at the feeling.

“You’re incredible,” he whispered between kisses. Darcy couldn’t hold back the giggle that erupted from inside her, driven only by totally happiness.

“You liked that didn’t you,” she laughed, easing up on her grip on him enough for him to prop himself up on his elbows above her.

“What makes you say that?” he grinned, thrilled at seeing her flushed face and shining eyes. Darcy, minx that she was, didn’t bother to respond. Instead her lifted her thighs around his hips and thrust just enough that his cock slid between her lips and bumped her clit enough to make them both moan.

Loki immediately kissed her, as deeply as he could as he continued to thrust himself back and forth between her swollen lips. “We both like this, don’t we?” he whispered. Darcy nodded and then gave him an evil grin.

“But it is definitely good that Ida is not home because you are not quiet either,” she teased.

“No,” he replied, “I see no reason to be. Not when I’m the happiest I’ve been in forever and I’m here with you.” He leaned down for another kiss, but was stopped by Darcy’s hand on his chest pushing him back.

“You’re happy?” she murmured, searching his eyes.

“Yes,” he whispered, leaning back down to press his forehead into hers, “for the first time in a very long time. You make me happy Darcy Lewis.” He kissed her cheeks and her eyelids, murmuring away the few tears that came to her eyes. “But,” he continued, “if you really want to hear me get loud...I’m afraid we are going to have finish this before I lose myself all over these sheets.”

That made Darcy laugh and she wrapped her legs around his hips, opening herself to him easily. “Is this what you want,” she whispered, kissing him softly. “I could use my mouth…”

“Another time,” he groaned, and Darcy felt a shudder move through him as he moved his hips and the tip of his cock slipped down to her opening. His hips jerked gently, bathing himself in her wetness, and he did indeed let out a guttural moan that made Darcy’s walls twitch with desire. “God I want you,” he groaned, into her neck. 

Darcy dropped her legs and slid her hands down his back to cup his cheeks in her palms. They were perfect and firm, filling her hands. She squeezed and pulled him forward, whispering in his ear as he sank into her. “You have me, I’m yours.”

She had to squeeze her eyes shut and bite her lip. Loki was not a small man. He was much, much, bigger than her previous experience with this. Thankfully, he wasn’t completely lost in it like her other partner. He thrust gently until he was fulling seated within her, his balls nestled warmly against her bum in a way that made her shiver with pleasure. He brushed her hair away from the face and kissed her gently. “Are you ok?” he whispered, letting her shift around him until she felt full and stretched and oh-so ready for him to move.

“You feel amazing,” she murmured in reply, reaching up for a kiss. She had intended it to be a soft peck, but he chased her, kissing her deeply and slipping his tongue softly into her mouth. As he kissed her senseless, she felt him start to move and she couldn’t contain the soft gasps that fell from her mouth as he started to thrust. He wasn’t pulling out far at all, making slow, shallow thrusts deep inside her. She didn’t know if he knew how good it felt or if he was just being considerate given that she was still getting used to his size.

“Loki,” she whimpered, sliding her fingers into his hair. He pushed up on his elbows above her and looked down into her eyes.

“Does that feel good darling?” he asked, enjoying the way she wrapped her legs around his thighs and her feet bounced against his bum as he moved. She bit her lip and nodded, her back arching off the bed and Loki took it as an invitation to feast at her breasts again. The second his had his mouth around her soft flesh, he couldn’t believe he’d neglected them so long. There was too much of Darcy’s body to love, everything was more than he could have dreamed. 

Once he was sure she was easily taking him, he began to pull out farther. He moved his pelvis up and made sure that on each stroke in he was hitting her clit. He suckled her nipples to hard nubs, plunging into her, and savoring her moans. Just when he heard her pants start to climb, he switched again, this time seating himself deep and grinding into her so that her clit was getting as much stimulation as he could provide. Darcy immediately lifted her legs higher around his waist and within minutes she was moaning his name and gasping for breath.

“Cum darling,” he whispered into her neck. “Let me feel you Darcy, please,” he begged. He knew he was dangerously close to cuming himself. He had been hard for so long and she felt so amazingly good. And, admittedly, it had been a long time since he’d been inside a woman. He was quite sure he’d never been with one as perfect as Darcy.

“Loki” she whimpered, clawing at his back, “it feels…”

“Let go darling,” he murmured into her ear. “I know. Just relax and let it happen.” He felt her go slack in his arms as she surrendered to the feeling of his cock prodding her inside and his pelvis stroking her clit. God, she thought to herself, this is what I wanted. This is what I imagined it would be like.

“Loki,” she mewled, her hips thrusting back against his, “I love you.”

“I love you too Darcy,” he murmured in her ear, holding her close as he finally felt her clamp down around him.

He hadn’t expected her to cum so hard. Her walls throbbed around him, gripping and releasing his cock with such power that he felt her start to milk his orgasm from him. “Darcy” he groaned, thrusting into her with as little abandon as he could allow himself. “Oh fuck,” he moaned, burying his face in her neck as her cries echoed in his ear. He felt himself fucking her into the bed, maybe a little rougher than he should, but then her walls contracted around him again and his mind went blank as the familiar sensation shot up through him and he groaned as he came deep inside her.

Darcy bit her lip and smiled to herself. Loki had collapsed on her and she could feel him panting against her neck, still moaning her name reverently. They were sweaty, tangled together. He was inside her so she could feel his cock twitch every few seconds. She could also feel their combined juices leaking out of her and trickling over her skin. She had never felt this sated, this blissful. She felt as if nothing else around them mattered in the least. It was only her and Loki and this, this time and love shared between them. They drove each other crazy with desire and need. 

She felt him shift against her and she whined as he moved far enough away to push himself up and look down at her. He leaned down to kiss her, pressing his forehead into hers.

“I love you Darcy Lewis,” he whispered, “whatever else happens, there is this and there is us. I love you.”


	16. Chapter 16

“So this is the cause of so much angst and subterfuge then?” Darcy asked, running her hand up Loki’s chest and sliding her fingers through the small patch of hair at the center.

“Well,” Loki grumbled, “it isn’t a small thing.”

“No,” Darcy sighed, pulling the blanket up around her shoulders and cuddling into Loki’s body. He immediately tightened his grip on her and wound himself around her even more. The open windows were cooling the room down quickly and they could both feel the nip of an early autumn just around the corner. “But I can see how your approach has made you feel as if all this was necessary.”

“What do you mean?” Loki asked, pulling back to look at her face. Was she really giving him a hard time about trying to protect the people he loved?

“I mean that you think the best way to keep us safe is to keep us in the dark and I know, from experience, that is not always the case. If you had told us, me, Herschel, Ida, we could help you. Maybe you wouldn’t have to run.”

Loki humphed and settled back in the bed, trailing his fingers over Darcy’s bare shoulder blades. She wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. “Herschel and Ida know. Well Herschel knows everything, Ida knows some of it.”

“What?” Darcy demanded, sitting up in bed and clutching the blanket to her chest. “Loki!”

“Darling,” he pleaded, “what was I to do? I didn’t tell you because...well because I have to leave and what would have been the point.”

“Well that’s shot to shit now isn’t it?” Darcy exclaimed, clearly exasperated with him. She tried not to get excited that he was now calling her ‘darling.’ She threw the covers back angrily and lept out of bed. Loki couldn’t help smiling at her American phrases and then gulping as he watched the truly glorious sight of a completely nude Darcy Lewis moving around the room.

“Darcy, it is too cold, come back to bed,” he said, trying to placate her. “You’ve been unwell.”

She slammed the larger of the two windows shut and turned on him with a scowl. “Don’t try that with me,” she said, pointing at him sharply. “You don’t think very much of me do you?”

“What?” Loki gasped, now feeling a bit affronted. Had he not already told her he loved her. “How can you say that?” he continued, watching as she threw on her dressing gown. “Darcy I love you, I do. How can you think I don’t respect you?”

“Because you won’t ask for my help!” she exclaimed, practically stamping her foot. She crossed her arms angrily and stared at him, well aware that she was being slightly unfair. “I can help,” she said softly, pulling at the sleeve of her gown. “I’m not useless.”

“No, you are not,” Loki sighed. “It troubles me Darcy that you seem to have some natural talent for this kind of work.”

“What kind of work?” she smiled.

“My kind of work,” he frowned.

Darcy broke into a wide grin and bounced back into bed with him. “I do, don’t I,” she smiled, leaning down to kiss his cheek. Loki turned his head quickly and caught her in kiss, which quickly turned a bit more intense and led to him pushing her back down into the sheets and reaching down to fumble at the knot at the front of her gown.

Her hands stopped him and she tore herself away from his kiss. “But that wasn’t the way I was thinking of helping,” she protested.

“No, of course not,” he sighed. “Darcy, I am not letting you out to wander the streets and that is final. No discussion.” He made his face as firm as he could, trying to communicate that he had no intention of taking this any further.

Darcy pressed her lips into a thin line and pushed him off of her. “I wasn’t planning on doing that either,” she said. “I’ve had enough of Crawford’s hospitality for the time being.”

Loki took a deep breath. He needed to listen to her. She was right that he shouldn’t always assume he had to do everything on his own. “Then how did you imagine helping my love?” Loki asked innocently, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles one at a time.

Darcy glared at him, but didn’t pull her hand back. “I know what you are doing,” she scowled. Loki looked at her innocently, but kept leaving kisses all over her palm, her wrist and her fingers. “I was thinking,” she continued, absently reaching up to run her free fingers through his hair, “that you just assumed it would be more difficult to run with me tagging along and never considered that I might have somewhere for us to to run to. Somewhere much farther away than any of the places you’ve imagined.”

That made Loki stop. “What do you mean?” he said, staring at her intently from behind her own hand, which was still attached to his lips.

“Well,” Darcy said, scooting down into the bed with him, “it isn’t St. Petersburg or Milan or Barcelona, but I have a little hiding place of my own.”

“Where?” Loki asked seriously, “Chicago?”

“No,” Darcy sighed. “After my parents died, there was no money in the bank to pay for the funeral costs, so I sold everything. I sold the house, everything in the house, my father’s horse, his cart. It was enough to pay off all the debts and keep me long enough to get over here.”

“So what you are telling me,” Loki asked, clearly confused, “is that you have no money. Darcy, I have more money than we could ever…”

“Hush,” she protested, pushing her fingers against his lips. “You are correct, I have no money. But I have land.”

Loki’s eyebrows shot up. That he did not expect. Darcy looked at him, her face a big smug. “Continue,” he said from behind her fingers.

“When they read my father’s will...he had bought a parcel of land for he and my mother to retire to. He hated Chicago, he always wanted to leave and start over. So he bought it for her.” Darcy now looked a bit proud. “See,” she said innocently, looking away from him, “I can solve a problem too.”

“And where is this land?” Loki asked. Please let it be in the middle of nowhere, he thought silently. Please let it be somewhere she and I can disappear.

“New Mexico,” she answered softly. Loki closed his eyes and smiled. “Will that do?” she asked, smiling at him. Loki could tell she was teasing him and he immediately fell upon her to tickle her into submission.

“You cheeky little thing!” he declared. “You know that will do just fine.”

“Yes it will,” she said, laughing and gasping through his assault. “There is a house...and a well. And a barn. All that is missing is people.”

“Then people it we shall,” Loki grinned, feeling for the first time in a long time that there was another side to this doomed life he’d been living. And on the other side, Darcy was with him.

But Darcy fell silent and her face turned contemplative. It made his heart thud with dread.

“What are you thinking of Darcy?” he whispered, leaning over her.

She looked up at him with eyes that were giving into a wave of sadness. “Will you tell me how you will get away from him?” she asked. Loki shook his head and backed away from her slightly. “Loki, please?” she pleaded.

“No,” he said firmly, “you will not be involved.”

“But how will I know you’ll be all right?” she asked. He could sense her distress growing by the second. It made him feel achy inside.

“Darcy, Herschel and I will take care of it. We have a plan…”

“Are you going to kill him?” she asked quietly.

“I don’t want to,” Loki said softly. “I don’t really want to kill anyone. But if I have to…”

“What would they do if they caught you?” she whispered.

“You mean for killing a high ranking military officer?” Loki snorted. “I would hang.”

“Loki, no,” she said, her voice starting to grow rough with emotion. “It is too dangerous. There has to be another way. Why don’t we just go? We can just leave!”

“I don’t know,” he said, throwing himself back into the bed. “I have imagined every angle.”

“What do you know about him?” Darcy asked suddenly, twirling her hair around a finger.

“Why do you ask?” Loki said.

“Because all that time I was there...the men who were there, they didn’t seem like soldiers or police. They were…

“What?”

“Thugs. Like street thugs. I know street thugs.”

“He could have hired men from the street, yes, but…”

“Why would he need to do that for an official mission.” Darcy chewed her lip and her eyes twitched back and forth. Loki could tell she was formulating something in her head.

“What are you thinking Darcy?” he said, sitting up and pulling her closer to him.

“That I think I know a dirty cop when I see one. That was one of Michael’s jobs, paying off the police. I’ve wondered if it was the thing that got him killed,” she said sadly. “Something is not right about Crawford.”

Loki sighed. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t suspected that as well, but he didn’t think it was a fruitful avenue to pursue. “What would you suggest I do?” he said, looking at her closely and trying to communicate that he took her efforts seriously.

Suddenly Darcy smiled, and grabbed both his cheeks in her palms. “Gather some intelligence Mr. Spy.” She gave him a loud, smacking kiss and then sighed, settling back in the bed and looking satisfied with herself.

Loki smirked. He renewed his thinking that he had finally, in many ways, met his equal. “Tell me Miss Lewis,” he said softly, pulling away from her only to position himself over her and cast his eyes down her torso, “would you like to see other forms of intelligence I possess?”

“Such as?” she smiled.

“I have a keen knowledge of female anatomy. I have made a study of it.”

Darcy rolled her eyes and turned away from him slightly.  “I don’t want to hear about the other women.”

“I wasn’t talking about them,” he smiled, biting his lip as he encountered no resistance in pulling her gown open. He ran his hand up her stomach and ribs until he could position his hand so that just the tip of his thumb was able to trace the underside of her breast. She shivered in response, just as he’d hoped. “I was talking about you, my love. I have been studying your anatomy for months now.”

“Have you?” she giggled, which melted into a gasp as his thumb moved up just enough to tease her nipple. “And what have you concluded?”

“Hmmm…” he groaned, dropping his face into the curve of her neck, smelling the singular smell that was just Darcy. He nuzzled and nipped at her skin, ready to reveal even more of his secrets. For the first time ever he had found someone that he truly wanted to know everything.

“I have mapped you in my mind a thousand times,” he whispered, his tongue darting out to lick her skin. “I have imagined your taste, your kiss, your scent. I have considered the heat of your skin, the weight of your breasts.” He swallowed thickly, remembering about all the times he was alone imagining himself locked in passion with Darcy. He shifted himself between her warm thighs, which parted silently around his hips. They welcomed him. He groaned to still find them damp and he almost bit down on her shoulder when she lifted her hips to him, letting him feel the heated wetness of her folds on his skin just above his cock. If he hadn’t been fully hard two seconds ago, he was now.

“I have imagined taking you in every location I might find you,” he continued, nudging the length of his hard cock along the line of her soaked lips. They both moaned at the heat of the contact and shifted themselves slightly into position. Darcy stretched her arms above her head and Loki grasped her hands, laying more of his weight upon her than he had previously. She wrapped her legs around his waist, hoping upon hopes that he would be able to fuck her without moving his mouth away from hers. His kisses were lazy, tantalizing, promising. She needed them while he was inside of her.

But it appeared to Darcy that Loki was not done with his report on her anatomy. Instead he nestled the tip of his cock against her clit and rocked his hips slowly in short little thrusts, teasing her relentlessly. What she had dreamt of was now her living nightmare. And all the while, he continued to whisper in her ear and against her lips. “I’ve thought of fucking you in every room of Odin’s house, in every room of this house, in that goddamn cinema, against the bar at the pub, in the backroom, in Erik’s lab, in your living room. I’ve tried to imagine the place where you sleep and if you would, by any chance, let me in there to lie with you for the whole of the night.” He dropped his mouth from her kiss and arched his back to take first one and then the other bud of her breast in his mouth, sucking lightly and sliding his tongue around her nipple until each felt like it would burst in his mouth.

“Loki please…” Darcy gasped, desperate to feel him fill her.

“I’ve imagined taking your sweet, wet cunt in my mouth, savoring every drop of your desire for me. I’ve drunk from the fountain of you and had you drink from me. I’ve suckled these breasts till you could take no more and my fingers have felt every ridge inside of you. I have kissed every inch of your skin, lapped at every aching, desperate part of you.”

Darcy realized that words would not work with him, he was enjoying himself too much. Every tease of her clit was just making her wetter and Loki was clearly enjoying the slick glide of her wet lips up and down the shaft of his cock. The way he was grinding himself against her let her know he was being honest with her; he had truly thought out countless scenarios of their lovemaking. She lifted her hips, changing the angle of his thrust just enough, and sunk her heels into his ass. Her unexpected move sent the tip of his cock not gliding against her lips, but slipping just barely into her sopping wet opening.

“There Loki,” she whimpered, “I need you there.”

“Oh christ woman,” he groaned, finally relenting and sliding himself inside her with one sure thrust. Darcy gasped against his mouth and then bit down on his bottom lip just enough that he could feel the same satisfying pinch that she felt. He knew she was not yet accustomed to his size and he waited as she took deep breaths and he felt her contract around him slightly at the sudden intrusion.

When he looked back down into her waiting face, he found glassy eyes and a true smile. “You feel so good,” she whispered, lifting her hips against him again, encouraging him to move. “I love the way you feel inside me.”

Loki groaned as he took her mouth in a wet kiss, but was careful to keep his pace on the slow side. Darcy was still recovering from her trauma and her injuries. He didn’t want to push her too far. He concentrated on chasing the feeling only Darcy could give him. Only when she closed around him completely, spasming around his cock and locking her body in his arms, only then did he feel truly anchored in the world. The weight of his body inside of hers somehow made more sense to him than anything he had ever done in his life.

Soon she was mewling, tossing her head, panting. He could hear the wet sounds of his cock fucking her over and over and could feel her excess moisture spreading across his thighs. Despite all of the things he had imagined, he had never imagined that she would want him this much. Watching her receive this much pleasure was too much for Loki. He had never been so affected by a woman. He felt the ache rise in his balls, felt his cock throbbing inside of her.

“Loki…” she moaned, tossing her head and arching towards him. “Please!” she gasped.

He groaned in frustration, pinning her to the bed and increasing his pace only slightly. He was determined not to finish right away this time; he wasn’t anywhere near done.

“Oh god!” she cried, her hands desperately grabbing her breasts, tweaking her hard nipples as Loki pushed her hips into the bed, angling her pelvis up and relentlessly pushing her g-spot.

He felt her start to tighten and she began with wordless gasps, deep inhales of breath that seemed to never release. Crying out practically in pain, he wrenched himself from inside her and immediately sunk two fingers into her wet folds. She was so hot and tight, dripping down into his palm, and he had to pant to keep himself from cumming on the sheets. He wanted to finish with her, but just not yet.

“Cum Darcy” he growled, his fingers working her walls as his free hand went to tease her clit.

Darcy cried out and writhed on his hand, grinding herself against his fingers. He was watching her intently, licking his lips, his eyes wild with desire. Darcy decided to give him the show he seemed to want. She grasped her breasts, teasing herself as she rode his fingers. When she finally felt it crest and her back arched off the bed, she wasn’t sure if her own groan was louder than Loki’s. She could hear a terribly loud squishing noise coming from between her legs as Loki cursed and bounced on the bed. She heard him groan ‘fuck’ and ‘Darcy’ and ‘yes darling.’ When she opened her eyes and focused on him, she found him sucking his fingers with his eyes closed, savoring her taste. The sight between her legs drove her wild. Loki on his knees, his cock hard and jutting out for her, his eyes closed as his chest heaved and tried to suppress the wave of desire that was clear on his face.

Before he knew it, she had him by the shoulders and was pushing him into the bed. “Darcy?” he exclaimed, “what…”

“Why’d you stop,” she pouted, catching her breath and settling herself on his thighs.

He flushed both from embarrassment and arousal. Darcy’s dripping cunt was pressed against the inside of his thigh. He could even still feel the slight twitches from within her. “I want to keep going,” he panted, grabbing her breasts as they swung in front of him. He kneaded them softly, caressing her nipples as Darcy stretched her arms above her head and let the last delicious tendrils of her orgasm twist through her body.

When she was done she looked down at his cock, red with need and leaving small drips of precum across his stomach as it flexed with anticipation. “Ok,” she smiled. She immediately dismounted, and pulled his legs apart.

“What are you doing,” he laughed.

“You said another time,” she replied with a devilish grin. She was busy arranging herself between his spread legs. “This is another time and I want to try.”

He propped himself up on his elbows as he gazed down at the vision between his legs. Darcy was laying on her stomach, kicking her legs girlishly behind her, her heavy breasts pressed together between her forearms and the mattress. She was also rubbing his thighs with her hands and eyeing his cock like it was a ice cream cone.

“What should I do first?” she asked, leaning forward to leave a trail of kisses across his hip bone. “I think you like to say filthy things in bed, so you should tell me,” she grinned.

Loki gave her a hot star. “I think you like it when I say filthy things,” he replied with a grin. “You get very wet when I talk like that.”

Darcy gave him a scolding look and leaned forward. Her mouth dropped open in a small, surprised gasp and she looked up at him. “You smell like me,” she murmured. Then with no needed coaching she took hold of his cock with one hand and licked the tip just like it was her favorite frozen treat. “You taste like me,” she groaned.

“Oh bloody hell Darcy,” Loki groaned, collapsing back on the bed. “Move your hand up and down, do you know how to do that?”

That Darcy knew how to do. That was one surefire way to keep the boys at bay on the streets of Chicago. A quick little handy got you out of any number of sticky situations, no pun intended. So she pulled her hand back, licked her palm, and grasped his cock, beginning a slow, long stroke that brought his foreskin up and over the exposed, swollen tip of his cock.

“Like that?” she whispered.

“Yes darling,” he moaned, “just like that.” He felt some of his muscles relax at her gentle attention. It felt amazing but wouldn’t be enough to make him cum. That he would still get to do deep inside of her.

“What next?” she asked, leaning down to leave little kisses on the inside of his thighs, just the same as he’d done to her. Then she remembered how good it felt to be licked and taking the site of Loki’s long, hard, beautiful cock as inspiration, she simply pushed him forward a bit and left a long wet lick up the entire underside of his length.

“Oh christ,” he groaned, his hips bucking sharply and causing him to thrust up into her palm. “That’s good,” he panted. “That’s very good. Keep doing that darling.”

Darcy smiled to herself and settled down to better acquaint herself with her new favorite toy. She licked every part, loving the feeling of the bulging veins against her tongue. She traced those with the tip of her tongue and received satisfied, throaty groans from Loki. She found that she actually liked the nest of curls at the base of his cock, initially thinking that might be too rough on her face. She liked that as she slide her hand down, she could find at least another inch or so of velvet flesh below. She discovered that flicking her tongue against the underside of the head of his cock made him buck his hips and she could feel his cock throb in her hand. It did the same thing when she kissed the tip and was accompanied by a whimper. She didn’t think anything else in the world could produce a whimper out of Loki.

The biggest discovery, however, was that Loki loved it when she played with his balls. She had anticipated that pretty much anything she did to his cock would feel good. But when she accidentally jostled them and he uttered a ‘fuck’ under his breath, she realized they were just as sensitive and posed all kinds of options for fun. Licking them, stroking them, cupping them, kissing them, all of these made him writhe and twist on the bed, moaning her name. And she loved the way they felt, hot and heavy and soft against her tongue. At one moment when she lifted one with her tongue, Loki groand loudly and rolled his hips up toward her mouth.

“Please Darcy,” he begged, “can you...are you able to just...suck…”

She smiled as she realized he wanted it in her mouth. She wasn’t entirely sure one would fit because they were larger than she thought they would be. But then again, Loki was quite gifted in this area. She lowered her head, keeping her hand moving slowly up and down his shaft, and used her tongue to scoop one between her lips. The litany of foul language that poured from Loki’s mouth as she struggled to keep his ass connected to the bed made her giggle. That made him jump a bit and when she took to the other one, she tried something different. Pursing her lips around it, she moaned, and Loki groaned so loudly she let go and looked up to make sure he was ok.

Flushed, panting, his eyes glazed over in pleasure, she finally realized the power a woman could have over a man if she excelled at this. Quite satisfied with herself, she looked down at her work and saw that more liquid was pooling at the tip of his cock, threatening to drip down on to her fingers. Without a second thought, she closed her mouth over the tip and sucked.

Loki shot up like a lightening bolt. Darcy’s head in his lap actually sucking his cock was too much. Not only was he likely to cum in her mouth, but he would need her to take him deeper. He didn’t trust himself not to lose it and thrust and he did not want her, on her first try, to have the experience of gagging on his cock.

Taking a deep breath and trying to control his breathing, he threaded his fingers through her hair and gently pulled her away. He guided her lips to his and immediately sank his tongue into her mouth, tasting the salty traces of precum on her tongue. “Fantastic darling,” he moaned, guiding her up to kneel between his legs. He needed to be inside of her sooner rather than later.

“I can do more,” she protested, her hand drifting back down to lazily palm his cock. “I liked it.”

“I loved it,” he sighed, kissing her over and over. “But I need more of you my love.”

He returned to her breasts, enjoying the process of teasing them back to hardness after they had softened as she relaxed. He also dipped his fingers to the lips of her silky pussy, wanting to see if she was ready to take him again. He moaned when he found that her wetness had not abated; she wasn’t lying when she said she liked playing with his cock. This boded very well for their future.

But he knew now that once he was inside of her he probably wouldn’t last long. He could feel his balls already starting to seize up to the base of his cock, readying to empty their load. So instead he concentrated on working her clit back to a state of heightened arousal. He wanted her to cum again while he was inside her; he wanted her almost there as well.

But as much as Loki loved having Darcy kneeling between his legs and sliding her fingers through his hair as he feasted on her breasts and thumbed her clit, he could sense that something was off for her. Her hips moved up and then back away from him, sometimes leaning back like she wanted him to follow her. He wrapped one arm firmly around her back and brought her closer to him.

“Darling,” he whispered, nipping at her jaw and licking softly up to her earlobe. “What do you need love? What do you want?”

She whimpered as she wiggled her hips. She loved the feel of him like this, the way he was playing with her clit, but she didn’t want his fingers. She wanted her fantasy, she wanted him the way she had dreamed. “I want,” she struggled, not sure how to ask, “I want to be…”

“Do you want to ride me my love?” he growled in her ear. “Do you want to get in my lap and ride my cock?”

“Yes,” she gasped, grasping his face in her hands and immediately sinking her tongue into his mouth. That was exactly what she wanted. She kept kissing him as she felt him guide her to straddle his lap, locking her knees in next to his hips. Then he pushed her hips down and pulled her ass towards him until she could feel the heat of his cock pressed between them.

Keeping his eyes locked on her, he took her hand and reached down in between them. He shuddered as he felt their combined wetness spread between them, coating her thighs, her plump little pussy, and his shaft. He guided her hand to his cock and she immediately tucked him back to her entrance. He grabbed her ass and together they eased him back inside her.

“Oh just like that Darcy,” he sighed. “You have the softest little quim,” he murmured. “I love being inside you.”

Darcy was whimpering and moving her hips, working him all the way inside her. “I…” she struggled, overcome with the way he felt in this position. “Oh fuck Loki,” she moaned, “I love your cock.”

“Hmmm…” he hummed, kissing her neck. “Someone else likes to say filthy things too.”

Darcy, however, found herself speechless. Maybe it was his mouth moving across her throat, her collarbone, between her breasts. Or the way he held her ass, guiding her as she grinded away in his lap. Maybe it was his soft grunts against her skin when she felt herself tighten and spasm around him. “Loki,” she whimpered.

“My darling likes this,” he murmured, partly to himself, as he ran his hands all over her body. “She can barely say my name.”

Darcy shook her head and buried her face in his neck, baring down on his cock with all her weight as her hips shifted against him with more force than she thought she could muster. Before she knew it, she had a rhythm, guided by Loki’s strong hands on her ass, pulling her down repeatedly. She swiveled her hips as she road him and the sensation was so intense she accidentally sunk her teeth into his shoulder.

“Oh god Loki,” she moaned, all of her movement directed towards the explosion building in her center, “I’m going to cum.”

Loki only growled and wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing his face into her neck. She could feel him panting, grunting, practically growling, as she worked herself over him. “Don’t stop Darcy,” he panted, “keep going my darling.”

With a rallied burst of energy, she bore down on his cock and felt her orgasm swell through her. She cried out as her walls contracted sharply, gripping Loki’s cock inside her. She felt the contractions through her thighs, her hips, her belly, her ass, all the way down to her knees.

For Loki’s part, he felt like Darcy’s cunt was swallowing him whole and with a great burst of joy from his whole being, he exploded deep within her. This time, he knew she could feel it as she moaned his name and splayed her hips wide, pushing him as deep as he could go and her hips thrusting each time she felt a hot spurt inside of her. He cried out at each contraction, gripping her ass and holding her to him tightly, feeling even more undone by the mental image of ropes of his cum filling Darcy’s depths.

Loki’s abdominals gave out and he collapsed back on the bed, taking Darcy with him. She was dazed, in no position to move. All she could do was cuddle down into his body and push her hips back, making sure his cock was still snug inside her, even as she could feel the dripping, trickling sensation begin. She kissed his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, surprised to find her shivering. With what little energy he had he reached for one of the blankets cast aside on the bed, and managed to pull some part of it over them. Her shivering continued and he tightened his arms around her, his warmth seeming to be the only thing to calm her down. When he felt her walls twitch around his cock, he knew she wasn’t cold. She was still experiencing the intensity of her orgasm. So he rocked her in his arms, kissing her wherever he could reach, and pulling his fingers through her hair.

“My love,” he sighed, smiling to himself, “my darling Darcy.”

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just fluffy bits before the drama re-emerges.

They heard Ida come home sometime after midnight. After they recovered from their second tryst, Loki had gone downstairs to find something for dinner and then brought bits and pieces of a picnic up to eat in bed. They made love again, decided they both needed a bath, and then went to sleep, waking only briefly when they heard the noises from downstairs.

“We should get up and make breakfast for her,” Darcy murmured, rolling over in her sleep and tucking her face into Loki’s chest. He nodded, only half awake, and tugged her closer to him, wrapping himself around her like she was his pillow.

Darcy was up and tiptoeing around the room very early. She didn’t want to wake Ida, but she wanted to carry through on her plan to make a thank you breakfast for her incredibly generous host. “Loki,” she whispered, bending over him and kissing him softly, “wake up.”

He scrunched his face and turned on his side towards her voice. “No,” he whined, “come back to bed.”

She sat next to him as she braided her hair and tucked it over her shoulder. She hummed softly, leaning over and kissing his shoulder, “I need you to go to the market and get things for breakfast.”

He made a tired, groaning sort of noise and flopped onto his stomach. There in the daylight Darcy saw for the first time the extent of what had happened to him during his imprisonment. His back was littered with scars: slashes, wounds, burns. She realized now what she had felt with his fingers in their moments of passion. Tears came to her eyes as she saw all the violence marked on him. But she also saw his strength in every toned muscle, in every curve of his body. He had been injured, but he had survived. So instead of saying anything, she leaned over and left several kisses down his spine, smiling as she watched him shiver. Then she tugged back the sheet to reveal the tantalizing expanse of his naked bum. She whacked him playfully on his ass. “Up!” she demanded.

\---------------

By the time Ida wandered into the kitchen, attracted by the unusual experience of cooking smells not of her own making, she found Darcy at the stove and both Loki and Herschel at the table, drinking fresh cups of coffee and laughing over something.

“What is this!” she exclaimed, delighted to see her house full of happy people.

Darcy leaned over to kiss Ida on the cheek. “I wanted to say thank you for taking care of me and we knew you had a long day yesterday.”

Herschel popped up and pulled out a chair for Ida, bowing as he motioned for her to sit. “Nothing wrong with a little caretaking, is there momma Ida?”

“No,” she said, her eyes misting a bit, “nothing at all.” She relaxed and laughed with them as Darcy continued to cook, delighting in the fact that she hadn’t seen Loki this jovial and happy in a long time. Darcy had brought back his light and she was thrilled for it.

Slowly food started to fill the table. First, a plate of fruit and a fresh pot of coffee. Then, toast. Then rashers. Then a large pan came off the stove and Darcy set down in front of them a creation that none of them had ever seen the likes of.

“What’s this now?” Herschel asked, peering into the pan.

“A frittata,” Darcy smiled, settling in her chair.

Herschel nodded, but looked concerned. “I see the eggs,” he said, “but where’s the tomatoes, the mushrooms, the sausage? The good stuff.”

“It’s all inside,” she said, pointing at the bits of color peeking out from beneath the cheesy crust. “It’s Italian,” she said, “like me.”

“It smells wonderful,” Ida said, reaching out to squeeze Darcy’s hand. Loki, for his part, was diving in, feeling wonderfully pleased that on top of being smart, sassy, amazing, beautiful, funny, interesting, and a terrific fucking lay, Darcy was also, at least in presentation, a great cook. And he was starving after their ravenous afternoon and evening of love making.

“It looks fantastic love,” he said, serving himself a least a quarter of the dish, which was quite a lot. Ida looked surprised to see Loki eat so much and Herschel was placated for the moment as he saw all the ingredients of his beloved fry up emerge onto Loki’s plate in a different form. The only thing missing was the beans. Just as he decided not to say anything, Darcy popped back up and took a small pot off the stove, setting a warmed through tin of beans just in front of Herschel.

He gave her a wide smile and dug in as Loki was already moaning over the combination of flavors in his mouth. Herschel’s first bite drew a pleased grunt followed by a similar noise from Loki. Both of them hunched down over their plates as Darcy rolled her eyes and Ida served them both more reasonable portions.

As Loki and Herschel proceeded to eat everything on the table, Darcy explained to Ida how she made the breakfast and they discussed some of the things Darcy had learned to cook from her mother. Every once in while, in between bites of breakfast, Loki heard something slip from Darcy’s lips that made him all the more excited that they were going to live in New Mexico together. That was his new goal; a new life with Darcy, leaving Europe, and all he had suffered, in the past. The only things to miss would be family, both new and old.

When everyone was done, Loki and Herschel ushered the ladies out of the kitchen so they could clean up. They both retired to their rooms to wash and dress for the day. Loki and Herschel got down to business as Loki told him the new parts of the plan he had formulated while he ran Darcy’s errands in the market that morning.

“America?” Herschel asked, “really?”

“Yes,” Loki said, his voice completely resolute, “I’m going to get us out of this and then Darcy and I are getting on a steam liner and making a new life.”

Herschel was quiet for a minute, seemingly chewing on the inside of his cheek. “Well,” he said, equally resolute, “Ida and I will miss the hell out of you, but I understand what you’ve got to do.”

Loki smiled sadly. “Maybe someday you’ll take a vacation,” he said, shrugging hopefully.

“Someday I may be forced to,” Herschel said, tiredly, standing up. “Can you spend a bit of time this morning? I have some errands I need you for.”

“Absolutely,” Loki said, wiping his hands on a kitchen cloth. He walked over to this man, his best friend and practically his brother. He put his hands on his shoulders and lowered his head. “Herschel,” he said seriously, “if there ever comes a time when you have to run, just do it. Come to us in America, bring Ida, just leave. There’s nothing here really worth fighting over to that point.”

“I know,” Herschel said softly, patting Loki on the cheek, “I know.”

Ida found her boys still in the kitchen, going over Herschels’ to-do list for the morning. Darcy made her way down the stairs just in time to receive a kiss on the cheek from Herschel, who then headed out the front door to smoke a cigarette and wait for Loki. Loki, realizing he was only half dressed, bounded back up the stairs.

“Ida,” Darcy said softly, listening to Loki’s steps up the stairs to make sure he was out of earshot, “do you think you could make me that tea you mentioned?”

Ida gave Darcy a concerned look. “I thought you said you wouldn’t be in need of it,” she said, also keeping an ear out for Loki. “I thought they didn’t…”

“They didn’t,” she said, shaking her head, “but Loki and I...um…”

Ida smiled. “No need to explain dear, I understand perfectly well. I’ve never seen anyone as lovesick as the two of you, it was only a matter of time.” Darcy flushed with embarrassment, but also at the thrill of knowing that what she and Loki felt for each other was strong enough that others could see. Ida got up and went to her cupboard, pulling out the leaves she had picked yesterday and then set to dry. “I’ll make you a cup now, but you’ll need to have another two over the course of the day. And it will take a day to work, but it will.”

Darcy blushed furiously as Ida went to work. “Thank you Ida,” she said, “I feel a bit foolish, but I guess we just got a bit carried away and we weren’t prepared...I don’t think it has even occurred to him.”

“No,” Ida smiled, “it doesn’t usually occur to men, although I think with Loki that might be a sign that he has no intentions for other women after you. I gave him and Daniel and Herschel a strong talking to about this business and I trust that they are usually prepared.” Darcy quirked her mouth at the image of Loki getting a lecture on sex from Ida. She had to suppress a giggle. “But you should know, Darcy,” she said, turning back to her as the water went to boil, “that Loki loves you. I’ve never seen him like this. It’s true, I believe it. And whatever the two of you get up to, he won’t leave you. He won’t turn his back if you find yourself in the family way.”

“I know,” Darcy smiled. Loki was a good man, better than any she’d ever met.

“But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be careful,” Ida said, her voice growing more serious. “Loki knows where to get a few French letters and there are things you can do as well.”

“Oh, I know,” Darcy said, biting her lip. “I actually have one of those caps...you know the ones that lady got arrested for selling…”

“How did you get that?” Ida asked astonished.

“I got it in Chicago, before I left. I thought it might not be a bad idea if I was coming over here to start a new life.”

“Well,” said Ida, turning back to the tea, “I’d say you are pretty set…”

At that moment they heard Loki thunder back down the stairs and reappear in the kitchen, all ready to go. He pulled Darcy from her chair and kissed her soundly, several times over, whispering that he would miss her. She smiled and kissed him back, straightening his coat and smoothing his hair.

“I’ll be back for lunch,” he said, smiling at Ida. Then he turned back to Darcy with a knowing stare. “Maybe we can spend some time together this afternoon before we have to leave,” he said. Darcy bit her lip and smiled, trying not to giggle as Ida’s shoulders shook a bit.

“Ok,” she grinned. After giving each woman a kiss on the cheek, he bounded out the door, and Ida turned back to Darcy with a grin.

“I’d say you should wear that thing 24 hours a day from now on,” she teased. “He’s on cloud nine.”

\------

But Loki didn’t come home for lunch. Darcy paced the parlor until Ida fed her another cup of tea and sent her up for a rest. She tossed and turned in her bed, too concerned as to where Loki was and what he was up to. She finally dozed a little bit, but awoke as soon as she felt another weight join her on the bed and a solid arm wrap around her middle.

“Where were you?” she exclaimed, rolling over into his arms. She wanted to be angry, but she couldn’t because he swooped down immediately to kiss her until she couldn’t breath.

“Bloody hell,” he groaned, his hands pushing up her sides and cupping her breasts through her dress, “I’ve been thinking of you all morning.” His fingers curled around the top of her dress and tugged the fabric down, his mouth desperately trying to get to her breasts.

“Loki,” she protested, pushing him away slightly, “stop.” He mewled in protest and ran his hand up the back of her thigh, pulling her dress up and slipping his hand in to cup her bum through her knickers.

“You’re fully dressed,” he whined, “that won’t do…”

“Loki!” she exclaimed, sitting up. “I asked you a question!”

He let out a groan and rolled onto his back, closing his eyes for a minute. Then he tugged Darcy’s hand to his crotch and coaxed her to palm his cock. “Keep in mind how hard this is for you,” he said wearily, “and how difficult it will be for me to communicate when I’m in this state.”

“I don’t believe you Master Spy,” she grinned, stroking him through his pants. “I don’t believe that a simple stiff prick would throw you off your game.”

“But it isn’t just a stiff prick,” he said, sitting up and taking her face in her hands. “It is a stiff prick brought on by a beautiful woman whom I love. I’ve been half hard for you since I left this morning,” he whined. “Do you know how difficult it is to plot someone’s downfall when all I can think about is what you look like naked?” With a particularly self-satisfied smile he leaned in for a kiss. Darcy placated him for a minute, slipping her tongue against his while she continued to rub him through his pants.

When he started to whimper her name and squirm for more friction, she withdrew with a wet smack and climbed off the bed. She immediately grabbed her dressing gown off the chair and threw it on over her dress, followed by wrapping a blanket around her shoulders.

“See?” she said, “now I’m the opposite of naked. What were you doing that made you so late?”

“Darcy, that was cruel” he groaned, flopping back on the bed. She gave him a serious look and he shrugged. “And, admittedly, kind of smart,” he finished. He sighed and pushed up on his elbows and looked at his anxious lover at the end of the bed. All she really wanted was to be included and feel somewhat secure about their future. Everything that happened mattered just as much to her as to him. He needed to remember that.

“I was about to come home when one of Herschel’s guys came back to the pub,” he started.

“What are Herschel’s guys doing?” she asked quickly.

“Tailing Crawford,” he replied. Her mouth immediately dropped open to protest, but Loki held his hand up. “Don’t take this the wrong way darling,” he said, “but they are better at it than you.”

Darcy huffed, but didn’t fight back. “None taken,” she said. “Then what happened?”

“He was taking a meeting and I had told them to bring me in so I could see who else he’s spending his time with,” he continued. “Remember you said that he went to lunch at a posh place in the City. He was there...with a businessman named Reedman.”

“Who is Reedman?” Darcy asked, scanning her memory for the men she’d seen Crawford with at that restaurant.

“You’ve seen him before,” Loki sighed, rubbing his face, “at the board dinner at Odin’s.”

Darcy dropped the blanket and shucked off the dressing gown. She silently wandered around the room, putting things back as she puzzled over this.

“Who is he?” she asked.

“I’m not sure besides someone on the board,” Loki shrugged. He sat up on the bed and looked at her seriously. “We saw him at the dinner with Crawford, one of them has to be on the board of Odin’s corporation.”

“It is probably Reedman, right?” Darcy asked. “Why would a government officer be on a corporate board?”

“You’re right,” Loki said. “It has to be him. But what’s the connection between the two? Reedman owns a smelting company.”

Darcy chewed her lip as she pulled at the fastenings on the collar of her dress. They didn’t have enough information. “Does Thor keep records on the board members?” she asked. Loki nodded, his mind now focused on the problem at hand. “Would he have them at home?”

“Possibly,” Loki replied, “in Odin’s office.”

“I will look,” Darcy said, pulling her dress down her arms.

“When would you do that?” Loki asked, finally looking up at her. “Wait, why are you taking your clothes off?” he stammered. He licked his lips as the extremely enticing view of Darcy’s breasts pushed into her brassiere came into view.

“I thought you wanted to spend some time together before I go back tonight?” she smiled, climbing on the mattress with him.

“Before you go...that’s right,” Loki said, his face falling.

“Take me to Odin’s not Erik’s,” Darcy said, straddling his lap and pushing herself against his already hardening cock. “You distract him and I’ll go on a little hunt.”

Loki was already pressing his lips against her throat and moving to undo the ties at the back of her undergarments. “Like I said, my love,” he moaned, “you are more than a little talented at that kind of work.”

Darcy bit her lip and circled her hips, pressing her center down just at the moment that his cock twitch up in his pants. Loki let out a loan grunt. “Fuck,” he stammered, “you are very talented in many ways.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...months behind schedule. Sorry folks; elder care and child care and work and traveling and all those excuses. I'm going to try and finish this!

After a last dinner with Ida, Loki and Darcy finally steeled themselves to the reality that it was time for her to go. Loki went to make arrangements for a carriage, while Darcy drank her last cup of tea and said tearful goodbyes to Ida. She was the kindest, most genuine person Darcy had met in a very long time. It was hard to leave her knowing that she might never get to see her again.

Once they were settled in the back of the carriage, Loki promptly wrapped her in his arms and shoved his face into her neck, choosing to spend the ride nuzzling, nibbling, and memorizing the scent of her skin. She kept his hands in her lap, stroking his fingers and massaging his palms.

“Are you ok?” she asked, suddenly aware that they hadn’t made plans to see each other after tonight. He only nodded.

“Hey,” she said softly, tugging on his hand, “come home with me tonight. To Erik’s.”

He hadn’t revealed this part of the evening to Darcy yet, but he was gearing up for a major confrontation with his family. She didn’t know that they blamed him for her disappearance. “I don’t know if that is a good idea,” he sighed.

“I don’t want you to be alone,” she pressed. “Come home with me. Sneak in, whatever you want. I don’t want to sleep without you.” I don’t want you to sleep alone, she thought to herself.

“Ok,” he smiled, completely defenceless to her charms. He lowered his lips to hers and Darcy sighed as she realized that they still had a few minutes alone before they had to deal with reality. That time was best spent snogging.

\--------

When they pulled up at Odin’s house, Darcy reluctantly pulled back from him and took a moment to wipe any trace of her lip rouge from his face. “Better,” she said after licking her thumb and swiping at the corners of her mouth. “Erase the evidence.”

“You are the evidence, my dear, I’m afraid you’ve made me a bit of an open book,” he said, kissing her forehead and then swiftly exiting the carriage. He reached behind him to help her out and tipped the driver generously before they turned to the house.

“Now or never,” Darcy sighed, letting his arm around her waist lead her to the front door.

“They should just be finishing dinner,” he said, looking at his pocket watch. “Our plan again?” he prompted.

“I will ask Jane to retire upstairs with me and I will tell her of the ordeal. At some point I will become emotional and excuse myself to the toilet during which time I will sneak to the office and find the board records.”

“Yes,” he said with a reassuring squeeze to her hip, “and I shall keep Thor, Erik, and Odin in the parlor.”

“What about the butler?” Darcy said, remembering how he roamed around.

“If you see him, tell him Jane requires tea in the ladies’ parlor.”

“Ok,” Darcy breathed slowly. “This will be fine.” She turned suddenly, grabbing Loki’s face with both hands and pulling him into a desperate kiss. When she released him, she kept his forehead to hers. “Just for the record,” she said, “if you wanted to leave tonight and never seen any of these people again, I would go with you. I would do it.”

“I love you Darcy” he whispered.

  
\--------------------

Loki took a deep breath and stilled himself before the door to his father’s office. He hadn’t found them in the parlour and this was the only place they could possibly be. His body felt particularly heavy, especially after the lightness of the last two days with Darcy. He stayed in the foyer long enough to watch her make her way upstairs; it took everything in him not to run after her, grab her hand, and disappear back out the front door. No one but the butler would ever know they’d been there.

He’d been able to convince the man not to announce him. He wanted to do this is as privately as possible, even though he was still unsure how much he would reveal. Now that he and Darcy were on the verge of a new life, everything felt very raw as if it were bubbling to get out. At the same time, everything very old, as if it should be put to bed.

He pushed the door open and saw Erik’s face first. He was on the settee, his face looked drawn and a bit aged. Loki was sure he would seem pale, except the firelight was flickering across his face. He had a drink in his hand, a sure sign of a good deal of worrying.

Erik’s eyebrows lifted silently as Loki pushed the door open. He made to stand, but Thor beat him to it.

“Loki,” Thor rushed, standing up quickly and moving towards his brother. “Is she here? Have you brought her?”

“She is upstairs with Jane,” Loki said slowly, eyeing his father who was returning a distrustful glare.

“Is she well?” Thor asked, “is she ok?”

“She is now,” Loki said. He came into the room enough to close the door behind him, but made no motion to step further in. “The women in Camden Town, they took care of her. They know how to take care of these things.”

“What things?” spat Odin, his rage barely contained.

“She was restrained,” Loki said, clearing his throat, “not given food or water or allowed to sleep. There are some bruises, some scratches. But she has recovered very well. She will be fine.”

Loki watched Erik deflate back into the couch, clearly relieved that Darcy would be fine. Thor, however, visibly remained on edge. It was clear to Loki that he had walked into a conversation about him, or rather, what to do about him.

“Fine for now,” Odin gruffed. “Fine for now, physically!” He insisted. “What about the coming nights when she wakes in a terror, relieving her ordeal. What about the other harm you have done to her Loki? What about that?”

Loki stayed perfectly still. The fact is he was well aware that Darcy may develop nightmares, he was all too familiar with them. The truth was that if she did, he would be with her to hold her and chase the fear away. He was not, however, prepared to share that information with Odin.

“Jane will help her,” Thor said firmly. “She is resolved to support her friend. We will all do our best to help her. There are doctors father,” he reminded gently, “and we have resources. She will be well cared for.”

“Of course she will!” Odin huffed. “Because we, the real men of this family, and by that I mean Thor, Erik, and myself” he said disdainfully, “take responsibility for our actions and for the women we are meant to protect! Not like you, Loki, who don’t even apologize for what you’ve put this family through.”

Loki’s eyes flashed in anger. Odin’s hypocrisy was always unbearable. But he was sorry for the worry he had caused Erik and Thor. He was sure, despite Odin’s protestations, that the old man didn’t give a second thought to Darcy’s well-being, only her reputation. 

“I am sorry Erik,” Loki said, turning to his old friend, “for the worry. I am sorry this happened to her. It was all a mistake.”

“What kind of mistake?” Thor pressed. Loki knew his brother would not be satisfied with a superficial explanation.

Loki sighed and rubbed his head. He was prepared to tell part of the truth, it was time and it had been long enough. He came around to the old wingback chair, settling himself by the fire and across from the rest of the men in his family. He crossed his legs and straightened his sleeves.

After a minute of silence, he turned his face towards them and away from the fire. “Darcy was taken by a man whom I, unfortunately, am compelled to work for,” he began. “This individual would like me to do something I do not wish to do. He is the man Darcy followed home from the dinner here several weeks ago. He is the man she had gone to watch in St. Paul, thinking she would be able to help me in my relation to him, and he took her thinking he would be able to make me perform my duties with her as leverage. Both of them were wrong and the situation has been resolved.”

Thor stared at him and Loki was sure he saw irritation in his brother’s face more plainly than he ever had. “You find this answer unsatisfying,” he concluded.

“Yes,” Thor said, tossing his head. “Loki, please, you can’t believe that is any kind of explanation. Who is this man? Why are you compelled to work for him?”

“Because you owe him money?” Odin sneered. “Because you’ve done something? He’s blackmailing you?”   


“Well, yes,” Loki sighed, “he is blackmailing me.”

“I knew it,” Odin thundered, pulling himself up from his chair on his cane. He lunged towards Loki as best he could, thrusting the old stick out towards him. “You disgraceful waste of time and space!” he bellowed. Thor rose to hold his father back and pulled him gently back to his chair. Loki remained seated, not moving or responding to Odin’s taunts.

“You’re disgusting,” Odin spat as he caught his breath. “I can’t believe you came of age in this house.” He pounded his cane against the floor to emphasize his ownership. “You were raised under my roof, my own child, who flaunts his vulgar appetites and refuses to take up the responsibility of his family. Who engages in obscene acts! Who drinks and visits prostitutes and gambles! You think we don’t know what you get up to in Camden? You think I haven’t had you followed! I know you go back and forth between a pub, a brothel, and a flop house! Your mother would have been ashamed, absolutely horrified. If she wasn’t already dead, this would have killed her!”   
Odin thundered to a close and Loki growled from under his breath. “Careful old man,” he hissed. “Be careful how you use our mother to further your cause. I don’t believe it was shame of me that killed her. That honor goes only to you.”

“What?” Odin spit, his eyes full of fire. “How dare you, you ungrateful little shit!”

“Odin,” Erik said calmly, trying to diffuse the situation, “would you please stop with the vitriol and let Loki explain.” He turned his body towards Loki, as if to say it was only between the two of them, Thor and Odin be damned. “What do you mean he is blackmailing you?”

“Drink and whores is not worth being blackmailed over!” Thor insisted.

“It isn’t about drink and whores,” Loki said quietly, shooting a glare at his father. He covered his mouth with his hand as he paused to think. Finally, he took a deep sigh, tugged down his waistcoat and went to get a drink.

“I didn’t work in logistics,” he said tiredly, pouring himself a double dose of scotch. Make it last he thought to himself. 

“I knew it,” Erik said, collapsing back into the sette. Loki turned to find Thor looking bewildered and Odin stewing in his chair. “What was it?” Erik asked, “code breaking?”

Loki felt something uncoil inside of him. Always Erik knew just what Loki was capable of, always he had faith in him when others did not. “No,” he said quietly, taking a small sip, barely wetting his lips, “I was in the field. Amsterdam. Brussels. Paris.”

“Intelligence,” Erik said with a quick nod.

  
“What?” Thor gasped. “You were a spy?”

“Not possible!” Odin roared.

“Come now Odin!” Erik bellowed. “Did you really think Loki was working in logistics? Do you have no sense of your own son’s capabilities? Did you really think if he was just in Dover he couldn’t come home for three years? Don’t be so thick! Frigga and I suspected just as much.” Loki felt the uncoiling sensation grow stronger. His mother had known.

Odin turned his anger to his old friend. “Don’t play this on me,” he sneered, “I’m not the one who got your niece kidnapped!”

“No,” Erik replied, “but if it wasn’t for this constant nonsense between you and Loki he might have brought her home two days ago. She might not have gone to such lanks to get his attention!”

“Erik,” Loki interrupted, “please, it is all well. Darcy is in good spirits, healing well, and has learned her lesson.” Erik let out a deep sigh and threw back the rest of his drink.

“I still don’t understand,” Thor said, shaking his head, “have you been lying to us all this time?”

“Yes,” Loki said, “about a great many things. Even now I should not be telling you what I did during the war.”

“What else is there?” Thor asked incredulously.

“Well, first of all,” Loki said, unable to contain a small amount of condescension, “while there has been a great deal of drink, I’ll not deny it, there haven’t been any whores.”

“I had you followed,” Odin hissed.

“I know,” Loki replied casually, “you don’t think I know how to spot such a thing. Didn’t your man lose me quite often? I’m quite good at what I do.”

“You’re still doing it?” Thor asked. “You work for military intelligence?”

“No,” Loki sighed, rubbing his brow and taking his seat again. “I was discharged after…” He cleared his throat, not quite ready to tell his unsympathetic family the extent of it. Perhaps later he would tell Erik, but for now it felt unnecessary. “After the armistice. I was discharged. It wasn’t until I came out of the field that I learned about mother’s death,” he continued quietly, turning his gaze into the fire. “I didn’t want to come back here, so instead I went to live with the mother of a friend. That’s whose home I reside in at Camden Town.”

Odin was now collapsed back in his chair, muttering to himself. Thor was shaking his head, still feeling quite confused and confounded by his brother’s admission. Erik leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “And the rest Loki,” he prodded, “what about the blackmail?”

Loki cleared his throat and took another sip. “Some months ago,” he began, “I was approached by a man I knew during the war. He worked for command, ran agents in the field, gave orders. He told me that I was being brought back into service and given an assignment to follow a trade unionist he suspected of sedition. I resisted, firmly. Although it has been difficult since the end of the war, I have no wish to return to the intelligence service. It has exacted too much of a cost.”

  
“What cost?” Thor asked. Loki could see in his face that he was more concerned that betrayed. Now the pieces were coming together from him, why these two brothers were so distance, why Loki was not around to share the suffering. Thor too had nightmares, woke in cold sweats. He could hear men screaming in his dreams, he could smell the chlorine clouds wafting over across the fields. “We could have shared these burdens brother,” he said softly, looking down at the carpet.

For the first time, Loki felt true remorse for his treatment of his brother. He knew he had been selfish in distancing himself, but he hadn’t let himself think about Thor’s own experience of war. He knew what the men in the trenches went through, he knew what his brother most likely had seen. It would keep him awake at night as well.

“I know,” Loki replied quietly, “I am sorry Thor.” He felt relieved to see a small tug of a small at the edges of his brother’s mouth.

“On with it,” Odin demanded.

Loki took another sip and turned his gaze back to his father. “I refused this request and before I was able to relocate myself out of this man’s grasp, he had returned with an offer I could not refuse.” That was as far as he would go, he thought to himself. He didn’t know what would come next in his battle with Crawford, but he wouldn’t drag his family any further into it.

“The blackmail,” Erik piped up. “What is it about Loki? Something you did during the war?”

“No,” Loki said, staring into his glass, “something Odin did several wars ago.”

“What?” Odin snapped, his gaze pulling away from the fire quickly. “What are you talking about. I haven’t been in any war.”

“I know,” Loki replied. “Only someone who hasn’t seen that horror up close could be as callous and self-congratulatory as you.”

Erik growled from his corner of the couch, drawing Loki’s attention away from his father. Loki could see it in his face; he was putting the pieces together. Suddenly Erik was on his feet, facing Odin with greater fury than either Loki or Thor has ever seen. “You told me you sold those designs to an Austrian freight company!”

“What is going on?” Thor asked, again bewildered.

“I did!” Odin exclaimed, smacking the end of his cane into the hardwood. “But it wasn’t an exclusive deal.”

“But we decided,” Erik argued, pacing in front of the fire, “we decided in this very room Odin. We knew what they were going to do!” Suddenly, he stopped and pushed his face into his hands. “Of course!” he yelled, his voice muffled by his hands, “of course this would come back in this way.” He threw his hands down and Loki had never seen him so angry. “Do you know what would happen now, after this terrible war, if word got out that you’d sold military strategy and designs to the Germans?”

“What” Thor cried, leaping to his feet. “Father!”

“I didn’t sell them any military designs!” Odin yelled. “I only sold them your designs for the cargo lifts for the trains.”

“You sold them to the German military!” Erik yelled. “And we knew why they wanted them. Those poor people!”

Thor through his huge body into the middle of the room, interrupting the exchange. Erik groaned and threw himself back into the sette. “Loki,” Thor demanded, “explain.”

Loki took the last gulp of his scotch and put the glass down. “About fifteen years ago, Erik designed a mechanized device for unloading cargo cars on the railroad.”

“Yes,” Thor nodded, “it was a major breakthrough. It secured this house, our future, father’s title.”

“Yes, it was a wonderful little invention,” Loki sneered. “Father sold it to an Austrian railroad magnate, but because our company held the patent, he also sold it to the German army. They wished to have fewer soldiers assigned to, ironically” Loki snorted, “logistics. Particularly in their colonies. Particularly in south west Africa.”

“It was a legitimate sale,” Odin sneered. “It made us very wealthy. It made all of us very wealthy,” he repeated.

“It did,” Loki agreed. “None of us knew, however, that the German army used those extra soldiers to heard a hundred thousand Africans into the desert and hold them there until they starved to death.”   


“I knew” Erik insisted, turning an angry gaze to Odin. “And Frigga knew. That was why we begged you to send them off and only sell to the Austrian.”

“Frigga didn’t know,” Odin sneered.

“Yes she did,” Loki said cooly. “As I said before, it wasn’t shame of me that killed her.”

Odin visibly deflated, his face twisting in rage and regret. Thor sunk back to the couch, shaking his head.

“This family is party to that crime,” he said softly.

“Yes,” Loki said solemnly. “But let’s not pretend that anyone in the British Empire cares about the murder of Africans. No, that’s not the subject of the blackmail. Collaborating with the Germans, however, on the eve of a great war, that’s another matter.”

Loki watched his brother as the revelation moved through him. “It would end us,” Thor whispered.

“That it would,” Erik agreed. Silence moved over the room and just as Loki felt like there was no longer any point to his presence, he heard Darcy and Jane’s voices in the hall.

“The ladies are here,” he said, standing and straightening his jacket. “I think it is time I take my leave.”

“Yes,” Odin said, his voice cold and detached, “it is. And do us the grand favor of not coming back.”

“Father,” Thor pleaded, “please.”

“No,” Odin said, slicing his hand through the air, “I don’t want to see you in this house Loki. Consider our connection severed.”

Loki took a long look at his father, looking pathetic and worn down in his old age. “It already has been,” he said softly, “for some time.”

Loki turned and opened the door, finding Jane and Darcy murmuring in conversation at the far end of the hall. He caught Darcy’s eye as he stalked down the hall, nodding curtly to Jane as he passed. 

“Loki,” Erik called, following him out of the room, “thank you for telling us. And thank you for bringing Darcy home. I am very grateful and you know you are always welcome at our house.”

He turned to Darcy who lifted one eyebrow and one side of her mouth at him. He would be very welcome in her bed in a few short hours. She had something to show him.

“Thank you Erik,” Loki nodded. “But I have a feeling I should keep my distance for a time.”

“Not too much,” Darcy whispered as he passed her. Loki turned on her and paused.   


“Miss Lewis,” he smiled, “I am so glad you are well and safe.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, a bit fearful of doing anything more under the watchful eye of Jane. But then he remembered all that had happened and how little he cared what his family thought. He pulled Darcy to him with an arm around her waist and kissed her soundly. “Leave your window open,” he whispered. He kissed her again, nodded to Erik and Jane and set out into the night.

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was going to write a proper chapter with plot, but then I wrote some smut instead and decided to post it on its own. I figured y'all wouldn't mind.

Darcy waited a good hour before she finally relented, put on her nightgown, and got into bed. She had hoped he would be along directly, but as the minutes ticked past she realized that he had gone to busy himself with something else. It took them at least another hour to get back to the house after Loki left. Apparently Erik and Odin still had much to discuss after Loki’s revelations. Thor took Darcy and Jane aside and plied them with a bit of Irish whiskey. Jane looked deeply concerned throughout. Darcy thought Thor needed the whiskey more than she or Jane.

Darcy tried to read while she waited, but eventually her eyes grew heavy. Had it really only been that morning that she had awoken early after making love to Loki all night? That she had been cooking breakfast in Ida’s kitchen? That afternoon they had spent in bed? Time seemed to be passing more quickly than it had in months, certainly since she’d arrived in England. She was glad for it, but also a bit overwhelmed.

It was sometime later that she heard a loud squeak from underneath her followed by the hushed groan of Loki whispering ‘bollocks’ into the stillness of her room. She immediately awoke and giggled to herself as he attempted to wrap himself around her without making a great deal of noise.

“Stop laughing,” he muttered, aligning his hips to her backside. She could already feel him half hard and pressed against her bum. “I’m feeling a bit crushed,” he pouted, flopping down on the pillow.

“Why is that?” she said, turning towards him. She was immediately concerned. “Was it the confrontation?”

“No,” he said wistfully, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t give two tosses about Odin and his fragile ego.” Darcy reached behind her and ran her hand down his side and over his bum. He squirmed against her. “I’m rather disappointed that I’ve been thinking about having you in this bed for the last two hours only to discover I can’t do it without waking the dead. And I’ve just spent the last hour in the garden smoking cigarettes and waiting for Erik to go to bed.”

Darcy grinned and rolled over completely to face him. She kissed him softly. “I’m sorry honey,” she said.

Loki grinned and pushed a few stray hairs from her face. “I like this Americanism,” he said quietly, “honey.”

“Honey,” she said again, leaning forward for another kiss. And then another one. And then another, until Loki slipped his tongue into her mouth and pushed her on her back and the bed let out another screech beneath them.

“Bloody hell!” he muttered again, throwing himself off of her and out of bed. Darcy leaned over and lit the lamp on her bedside table, immediately throwing her hand over her mouth at the site of Loki standing in his undershirt and undershorts with a very noticeable tent in the front of them. “That” he said accusingly, pointing at her bed, “will not do.” He paced her room a few times, stripping off his undershirt while he wandered, before seizing her lamp and setting it on her dressing table. He took a few dresses that were draped over her wingback chair and threw them across the bed. He sat in the chair and turned towards her. Darcy thought he would call her, but he spied her full length mirror in the corner. He was up and pulling it across the room, taking the time to position it just so. Darcy watched him curiously as he sat in the chair and then got up to nudge the mirror slightly. Then, when he seemed satisfied, he came back to bed, seized her lamp and took it across the room, placing it on a small table near the chair and leaving Darcy cast in shadows.

Then he sat quietly in the chair and turned towards her. “Come on now darling,” he whispered, reaching out his hand. She got out of bed and quietly padded over to him. He took her by the hips and positioned in front of him, within arm’s reach of where he sat. He took a moment to just look at her in the flickering light and she bit her lip at the way he gazed at her; fire and calm, happy and needy, desire and love.

“Let your hair down love,” he said, grabbing her hips again and kneading her flesh through the thin material of her nightgown. After her long tresses were flowing loose over her shoulders, he reached up and began to pull at the ties in the front of her gown. When it was loose enough, he pushed it off her shoulders, letting it pool at her fit. Darcy inhaled sharply as both the cool air and the look in Loki’s eyes caused her nipples to harden immediately.

“So beautiful,” he whispered. His hands quickly went to his waist as he lifted his hips and pulled his undergarments down quickly. Darcy felt her stomach flip and her center moisten at the site of his cock, thick and hard and bouncing towards his stomach. Then his hands were back on her hips, running down the outside of her thighs and his fingers wrapped around the back, pulling her forward and nudging her legs open.

He leaned forward to kiss her stomach, trailing his lips over her abdomen and her hips. She felt his fingers between to creep into her folds and without a second thought she clasped her own breasts and began to tease herself.

“Yes darling,” he groaned, slipping his thumb against her clit and beginning a soft rhythm, “does that feel good?”

“Yes,” she whimpered, moving herself with the rhythm of his touch. She had gotten so wet so quickly in her life. 

“Do you like to touch yourself,” he whispered, his voice taking on a edge of neediness she hadn’t urged before. Darcy nodded, her eyes already closed and concentrating on what he was doing to her. “Look at me Darcy,” he insisted. “Look me at tell me.”

“I like to touch myself,” she breathed softly, “I like to touch myself and think of you.”

“Fuck,” he muttered, his breathing escalating sharply. He spread his legs and hunched down in front of her. His hot breath ghosted over her mound as she felt his fingers start to play with her lips and dip into increasingly wet entrance. “I need you wet darling,” he insisted, kissing his way down to her clit and slipping his tongue out quickly into the cleft to flick the little nub. “I need you to be wet so you can sit in my lap and ride me.”

“Loki,” she moaned, one hand drifting to hold his hair as he began to lap at her gently. When she angled her hips up to his mouth, he shifted from lapping to suckling, groaning as some of her juices made their way into his mouth. He teased her for longer than either of them could stand, until he had pulled her almost all the way to cumming and then back her back down, until she was glistening on his chin.

“Darcy,” he panted, “are you ready darling, I need you so badly.” She only nodded furiously as she reached down to grip his shoulders as he sat back up. Even as he adjusted his position and reached down to hold his cock steady for her, she was already straddling him. Locking her gaze with his, she reached down and batted his hand away, holding him steady as she nudged the head of his cock between her lips, drawing him back and forth to tease, to wetten, to find just where she wanted him. He grunted as the tip of his cock slipped just into her soaked entrance, his hips bucking immediately for more.

She whimpered as she sank down, still not accustomed to taking his size. His hands gripped her ass greedily, guiding her as she eased him into her, taking every inch as slowly as she could to draw the feeling out. Darcy face fell into the side of his head, but Loki’s gaze remained locked over her shoulder. She could feel him twitching inside her, feel the muscles in his body shaking to stay calm and keep some control.

“What?” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “What is it?”

She felt him swallow thickly before he whispered to her, keeping their voices low to not wake the house. “Look over your shoulder,” he murmured, leaning down to moan into her neck. Darcy turned her head and gasped at the sight. The two of them, utterly naked, wrapped around each other, Darcy’s ass pressed into his thighs.

“Ease up,” he whispered, pressing his forehead against her chin as they both locked their eyes on the mirror.

Darcy lifted herself, with his help, and moaned as she saw the shaft of his cock emerge from inside her. It glistened with her juices in the flickering light.

“Ah darling,” he growled, squeezing her ass in his hands, “you’re so wet. So ready to be fucked.”

“Hm,” she hummed, rolling her hips back down, “I’ve been waiting for you, thinking about you.”

With that thought Loki seized her lips in a furious kiss and Darcy started to ride him as hard as dared. The last thing they needed was to break the chair and wake the whole house. Nevertheless, she found herself wishing they could go harder, that they could really fuck, but their logistical limitations forced them to focus on each other, on the slowness of it.

They took their time, both of them lasting longer than they thought they might. Loki nibbled every bit of skin he could reach, suckled her breasts, teased her nipples. She could tell when he watched them because she could swear she felt him jerk and swell within her even though he was as hard as she’d ever seen him. Finally she couldn’t take it anymore. She pushed up on his shoulders and lifted herself, earning an unhappy gasp and a whine from him.

“I want to watch too,” she argued, turning around and offering herself back to him. Loki slumped slightly in the chair and guided her back, groaning as he watched her ass move into his lap and shuddering as he felt his cock enveloped back into her heat. He reached around to cup her breasts, grateful for the new position. Darcy started to move and immediately he could the feel the effects of the visual on her. “Oh god Loki,” she moaned, and he felt a flood of wetness surround his cock and begin to drip out of her. “Oh my,” she whimpered, reaching down to run the tips of her fingers against the exposed bit of his shaft.

Those wet fingertips grazed his balls and Loki moaned, louder than before. He caught himself, but had to bite down on her shoulder as Darcy began to squeeze his balls gently and fondle them with her damp, warm fingers as she worked her hips over him. He could feel her walls growing tighter and wetter and knew she was close. She was pulling him with her and he felt the ache rise in his balls as she stroked them.

“Darling,” he choked out, “please...soon.” 

Darcy knew what he meant and she tugged one of his hands to her center, his fingers immediately working her clit. She leaned her weight forward and rode him deliberately and as hard as she dared.

“Oh god,” she whimpered, finding a new angle and new spot for the head of Loki’s cock to tease inside of her. Together they moved, rolling and writhing, their skin starting to break out in a cooling sweat. When she felt her orgasm start to pull through her she called his name and they locked eyes in the mirror. All it took was one gasp of her voice and one tight contraction of her walls around him and Loki let himself go, cumming hard and filling her with over and over.

Afterwards, he pulled Darcy back against his chest. He pushed her long hair over her shoulder, exposing her neck to his lips. She eased her hips back and draped her legs over his, relaxing her weight into his lap. Darcy reached one hand down and stroked the bit of his shaft that emerged from within her. Her fingers trailed over his hot, hard flesh and played with her flushed lips wrapped around him. Together then watched as bits of cum began to drip onto the floor and after several minutes of deep breaths and calming caresses, Loki’s softening cock slipped out of her and the rest of his cum dripped quickly out.

“That nice, isn’t it,” he murmured, hugging her tightly and kissing the side of her head. “We’ll have to get one of those mirrors in New Mexico.”

Darcy turned her head to kiss him softly. “Or maybe two,” she smiled.

When Darcy felt her legs could take her weight, she slowly eased herself out of his lap. She grabbed a cloth from her toilette and wiped the floor and herself before turning and wiping the bits left on Loki’s groin.

“Messy boy,” she teased, leaning in for a kiss. He smiled and brushed her mussed hair from her face. “Bed,” she murmured, stealing another kiss.

By time she had put the cloth away, Loki was in bed, blankets pulled back and waiting for her. Darcy crawled immediately into his arms, wondering if in a few hours they would be awake and back in the chair. Or perhaps, after the turmoil of the day, they might actually sleep all night.

  
Several hours later when she felt his warm mouth encase her nipple and his fingers wandering between her thighs, she knew she would probably not sleep through a whole night with Loki for a very long time to come.


	20. Chapter 20

Loki, ever the problem solver, addressed the issue of sex with Darcy in a squeaky old bed by limiting their second round to orally oriented activities. As he tickled her clit with the tip of his tongue and delighted at the way she arched her back and palmed her breasts, he remembered his old fantasy of going down on her in semi-public spaces and his mind drifted momentarily to the locking the two of them in a cabin for two on the ocean liner to America with nothing to do for weeks but make love. I must get tickets, he reminded himself.

Darcy returned the favor by laying between his legs and teasing him to the point of anguish. She used her hands and her lips, but wouldn’t suck no matter how much he begged. She used her breasts a little though, and when he was ready, she finished him in her throat with several long swallows. Looking down at Darcy’s face in his crotch, with his cock buried in her mouth no less, was just about the best thing Loki had ever seen in his life. If they were ever apart, he was pretty sure he would be able to cum for the rest of his life to just the memory of her eyes giving him a sassy look while she swallowed

After another few hours of sleep, Loki awoke ready for another go, but he could hear the sounds of the house coming to life below them. It would, unfortunately, have to wait. Darcy didn’t sleep too long after he got out of bed, and she immediately pouted to see him half dressed.

“Are you leaving?” she asked sadly.

Loki gave her a grin as he buttoned up his shirt. “Only long enough to reasonably present myself for breakfast as if I did not sleep here,” he said. “I think Erik will be ok with you and I, but I can’t put him in the position of knowing this went on under his roof.”

Darcy sat up in bed, holding the sheet just barely over her naked breasts. “By ‘this,’” she said, “do you mean your debauched and lecherous treatment of my innocent self last night?”

“Yes,” he said, nodding sharply, “but I was also referring to your rather demanding and needy instructions that I fuck you with my tongue. Especially the second time.” He gave her a wicked smile as he finished the last button on his shirt.

“Loki!” Dary hissed, dropping her face into her hands. The sheet fell away slightly, revealing the beautiful swell of her breasts and Loki felt his only recently repressed erection twitch in his pants. 

“Be careful there Miss Lewis,” he said warmly, coming to lean over her on the bed, “or I’ll debauch you up against this wall.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” she said, raising her head up for a kiss. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him in and he happily acquiesced. 

“Later,” he muttered, giving her another kiss. When he tried to stand back up, he found Darcy’s grip on his shirt still tight.

“Later,” she said, suddenly switching gears, “we need to talk about what I found last night.”

“You found something?” he asked, eyebrows raising in surprise.

“Yes,” she said indignantly. “I’m good at this!”

“Yes, you are darling,” he said smiling and running his thumb down her cheek. “But remember, no solo missions ever again. We work together.”

“Yes we do,” she sighed raising herself up to throw her arms around him and drag him back down for more kisses.

“Darcy,” he protested in between nibble and swipes of her tongue, “I should go and you’re making it very difficult…”

“Don’t you mean hard,” she whispered, trailing her tongue down the side of his neck.

“Enough woman,” he said, pulling away from her. “You are too much for me.”

“I think I’m just the right amount,” she said happily, straightening her sheets.

“Get dressed and meet me downstairs,” he said, pulling on his coat and heading to her window. “We’ll have breakfast and then talk.”

By the time Darcy got downstairs, having taken extra time to wash herself so that there was no trace of her nighttime activities, Loki was already sitting at the dining room table, head lowered in conversation with Erik.

“Darcy,” Erik said warmly, rising to kiss her cheek. “It is very good to see you at this table again. And look, Loki came to have breakfast with us.”

“Good company is hard to turn down,” Loki smiled, fondly squeezing Erik by the upper arm.

“True,” Erik said, “although I’d hazard that your affection for my niece has more to do with your presence than catching up with an old man like me.”

“Erik, no,” Darcy said. She stopped when she saw him laughing.

“You two make me happy,” he said lightly, digging back into his plate of eggs and rashers. “I’m happy for you.”

Dary smiled across the table at Loki, who sipped his coffee and gave her a dopey smile.

“Well isn’t this nice,” Jane said from the doorway. Loki sighed and put down his cup. He knew that tone of voice. The pleasant breakfast was over.

\---------------------------

After breakfast, during which Jane grilled the two of them on the events of the last few days, Loki and Darcy decided to take their long awaited trip to Regent’s Park. Erik offered Loki his room to freshen up, indicating that perhaps Loki was not as smooth as he thought himself to be. “You look like you’ve been out all night,” Erik exclaimed, clapping him on the back, “and yet, you don’t look tired.”

He found Darcy waiting for him in the parlor, dressed in a lovely blue frock with her hair pinned up. As much as he loved her hair down, he also loved it up so he could see her neck. Maybe a few kisses there would be discrete enough in the park. Maybe not.

Once they were packed into a carriage and waving goodbye to Erik on the curb, Darcy grabbed Loki’s hands and pulled them into her lap.

“What I found,” she began, without preamble, “was the list of the board members.”

“And?”   


“Crawford is on it with a man named Benton and I remembered that Thor referred to him as Lord Benton.”

“Benton?” Loki asked, suddenly alarmed. “He’s a horrible man.”

“That’s what Jane and Erik said,” Darcy nodded, “and he’s…”

“So we have Crawford, Reedman, and Benton. What’s the connection between the three?”

“Between the two.”

“What?”

“It’s just two,” she smiled, pulling a piece of paper out of her purse. “I copied the ledger. Crawford is on the board with a man named Lord Benton, a partnership. They have several holdings together, one of which is a smelting company…”

“What’s the other?”

“Marcus something.”

“The Marcus Brewery.”

“Yes!” she said excitedly. “But don’t you see? Reedman is…”

“Lord Benton.”

“Yes! But how?”

Loki turned away from her as he searched his mind. He had only met Lord Benton once, before the war, his mother cringing in disgust as they were forced to entertain him. He had just come onto the board of Odin’s company and even then, maybe ten years ago, he was ancient. How was it possibly that…”Bloody hell” Loki gasped, smacking his hand against his thigh. “He must have been next in line for the title, a cousin or something. That’s the only way. I didn’t know he had ascended so when I saw him I only thought…” Loki paused, looking out the carriage window. “God damn them to hell,” he whispered under his breath.

“What?” Darcy asked anxiously.

“How did I not see it?” Loki seethed, clenching his jaw so tight Darcy thought the tendons might burst. 

“Loki,” she demanded, taking his face in her hands and turning her to him. “What is it?”

“The trade unionist, the guy he wants me to kill, he works at the brewery. He’s trying to organize the brewery.”

Darcy gasped and dropped her hands. “It isn’t about the IRA or sedition or communist or any of that,” she exclaimed.

“Crawford just wants to bust the fucking union,” Loki muttered. “Ah!” he cried, pounding his fists into his thighs. He was so angry he could kill Crawford with his bare hands. “How could I have let this man…everything we have been through...”

“No,” Darcy said, shaking her head, “don’t say that about yourself.” She practically climbed in his lap in an attempt to calm him down. “Don’t even think it. He came at you with everything that has happened to you and all the damage he could do. There is no way you could have known.”

“I could have known,” Loki said, shaking his head. “If I had done what Daniel would have said to do…”

“No,” she insisted, “you can’t know that.” She pressed her lips to his face over and over. “Just let it go baby,” she whispered. “Just get us out of this and to our new life. Don’t hurt yourself over it. I can’t see you hurt yourself.”

She held him tightly until his breathing calmed down. She only held him and whispered that she loved him and she trusted him. When he was ready to speak again, he leaned forward to kiss her quickly before pushing open the small window to the driver’s seat. “Take us to Camden Town,” he demanded.

The driver made a hard turn at the next corner and began in the opposite direction before Loki leaned forward again. “Sorry, no,” he said suddenly, “take us back to Marylebone,”

“Loki!” Darcy protested.

“My love,” he said taking her hands, “please let me go to Herschel and think this through. I will be much more focused if I know you are home safe. Please do not go out and do not let anyone into the house.”

Darcy’s face fell in disappointment. “But I thought…”

“We are a team darling,” he said, pulling her chin up to meet his gaze. “I need you to get us ready to leave. Begin to make plans, inquiries. I will get us tickets on the ocean liner. Spend this time with Jane and with Erik. We will have to leave suddenly.”

Darcy was about to protest again when she felt a sharp twist in her lower abdomen. Ida’s tea was beginning to work and she suddenly didn’t mind the idea of going home. She nodded resolutely.

Loki’s heart sank as he watched her sink into the carriage, her shoulders weighted with disappointment. He also dreaded the idea of a long day without her, especially when there was no reason.

He grabbed her fingers and kissed each knuckle. “What time does Erik’s cook serve supper?”

“Half seven,” she sighed, trying to muster a smile at his dancing lips.

“Why don’t you have a carriage bring you to the pub around 5. We can have a drink with Herschel and then be back to Erik’s to dine.”

Darcy perked up at the idea of leaving the house after all. She leaned forward for a kiss.

“Is that better my love?” Loki whispered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She nodded happily, searching for another kiss, and Loki knew he would never be able to say no to her for the rest of his life.

\-------------------------

“That priggy son of a bitch,” Herschel seethed, slamming his pint glass down on the bar.

Loki took a long drag of his cigarette and poured himself another shot of whiskey. He didn’t want to get drunk before Darcy arrived, but he also knew that he was likely to bash someone’s face in if he didn’t take the edge off.

“I can’t fucking believe the bloody balls on him!” Herschel exclaimed. “Ridiculous posh toft with his lordship in his pocket” he grumbled, “thinks he can command the rest of us. He’s got no reservations about exploiting his military role to twist you up!”

Loki pulled his hand back from the shot glass. That was it. He and Herschel had been stationed at the bar for the whole of the afternoon trying to figure out how to take down Crawford given this development. They couldn’t just kill him and they couldn’t go after Benton. But that might work. The only problem was who to contact.

“What are you thinking?” Herschel asked, eyeing Loki suspiciously.

“We’ve got to jam him up,” he said, pushing the shot away so he wouldn’t be tempted. He needed a clear mind. “Get him over to the right people, people who would be disgusted by how he’s dishonorably used his office.”

“Who are those people?” Herschel quipped, “besides myself.” 

Loki light another cigarette and closed his eyes. There was one way to do it, he just didn’t want to make things worse. He stubbed out his cigarette and threw back the rest of his drink. “Let’s go visit a few people.”

Herschel nodded resolutely and moved to button up his shirt properly. Before he could finish, they heard the voices of some men outside the pub escalate with cat calls and just as he looked up the front door opened and the ravishing Darcy Lewis walked in. She scowled behind her as Loki saw the face of some brazen youth bobbing behind her, leering and taunting. He was on his feet and had her in his arms before the door closed. He shot a look over her shoulder and the younger men dispersed quite readily. He suddenly felt a wave of desire to just leave and be done with it, take Darcy and start their new life. Damn Crawford to hell and let him stew.

His focus was brought back my the feeling of warm lips pressing into his throat. “Are you there?” she whispered gently. Her lips ghosted over his earlobe and he felt his cock throb. His body always reacted this way to her; he was a danger to himself in his inability to control himself around her.

“I’m here darling” he whispered, wrapping an arm around her waist and guiding her back to towards Herschel’s office. Herschel met them at the end of the bar and gave Darcy a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Just give us a minute mate,” Loki said quickly, pushing the door open and dragging Darcy in behind him.

“Loki!” she exclaimed as the door shut behind her, “that was rude!”

“He doesn’t care,” Loki said, pushing her up against the wall and covering her with his body. “He knows what I’m going through.”

‘Which is” she sighed, feeling herself succumb the tickle of his lips against her pulse point.

In response he only rolled his hips against her as he pushed his lips to hers. Darcy moaned into his kiss, enjoying the feeling of his hardening cock pressing into the apex of her thighs. But then she felt a little twinge and half heartedly pushed him away.

“Darcy,” he moaned, gathering her in his arms, “I don’t know if I can wait till tonight. I might need to have you here if you can stand me.”

“Of course I can,” she said, “but...there is something.”

“What’s that my love,” he whispered, running his hands down her back and filling his palms with her bum. He planted his lips behind her ear as he tugged her against him and he grinned as he felt her shudder in his arms.

“It’s just” she sighed, pushing him back, “I have my courses.”

She felt him deflate in her arms, all the tension in his muscles relaxing in disappointment. “Ah,” he exclaimed, trying to hide his frustration. He felt his heart thump heavily at the idea of being deprived of her and immediately felt ridiculous; this was part of being with a woman full time. He should be happy that he was just with her. He stood up taller and leaned himself back every so slightly so they were still connected but she wasn’t pinned by his body. “So,” he said smiling, “I suppose I will not be frigging my favorite Italian fig this evening?”

“No,” she laughed, smacking him lightly on the chest, “unfortunately not.” She rolled her eyes at him as he planted his lips at her temple.

Loki smiled and leaned down to kiss her. “But that doesn’t mean,” he whispered, “that I can’t still join you in bed and hold you and kiss you and do my utmost to comfort you, does it?”

“No it doesn’t” she smiled, happily receiving another kiss. “But I have something else to tell you, about this specifically.”

“What’s that darling,” he murmured, having busied himself with nibbling on her earlobe.

“Before I left Ida’s...I had her make me that tea.”

That caused him to pull back and frown, his hand drifting to her hip and his thumb stretching out across her abdomen. He felt a protective surge within himself. “Why? You said…”

“Yes, I did, but you and I...enjoyed ourselves...several times,” she said quietly, looking around the pub, “without taking any precautions.”

“Bloody hell,” Loki groaned, closing his eyes. How could he be so stupid, so enraptured, as to forget. “I’m sorry darling,” he said pleadingly, “I don’t know what came over me. I should not have been so careless.”

“It’s ok,” she sighed. “It’s no worse than usual, and I’m glad it has worked. And I forgot as well, so I know exactly what came over you. The same thing came over me. But from now on we must be more careful. I have…”

“Darcy,” he interrupted, “I want you to know that I have never been with another woman without protection. I am not a danger to you, in that way.”

“I know,” she smiled, “I trust you.”

“I shall make sure I visit a supplier before we leave,” he said resolutely.   


“Ok,” she said, “but what I was going to say is that I have a thing...you know, for inside…”

His eyebrows shot up, quite delighted to hear that. After the way Darcy had responded to the feel of him cumming within her he was quite disappointed to think they may have to leave that part behind. He enormously enjoyed being inside her without a sheath of any kind. It was so much better. “Well, love, it is not only your problem, it is for us to deal with together.” Darcy smiled at his enlightened perspective. “So,” he grinned, “if you need help inserting it, just let me know. I’m very happy to help prepare the area. Perhaps a bit of licking and kissing would be nice, no? I would always love to have a little nibble.”

“You’re insatiable,” she said shaking her head.

“I don’t deny it,” he said, leaning forward for a final kiss. “But now, I'm sorry darling, I must go now and finish up with Herschel. I promise I will see you tonight for dinner.” He leaned forward for another kiss and then tore himself away. He only got a few steps before Darcy turned to him.

“Be careful,” she called, giving him a knowing look.

He rushed back for one more kiss. “I will,” he said. He moved to leave again, but not before getting one good squeeze of her bum in before he went.

**\--------------**

Two hours later, Loki and Herschel were back at the pub, finalizing their plans. “One more round mate” Herschel said, getting up from the table.

Loki nodded in agreement, pulling out a cigarette. “Just half a pint,” he clipped, “I need to be on soon.”

“Back to the ball and chain?” Herschel teased, waggling his eyebrows.

“Bugger off,” Loki yelled. Herschel smiled at him from the behind the bar as the door creaked open and a shy looking young man poked his head through.

“Did you get the tickets?” Loki asked, pulling a bit of tobacco off his tongue. The young man came fully into the pub, taking off his cap and shifting his weight nervously.

“Well, no,” the young man said, “I ran into a complication.”

“What’s that?” Loki glared. Herschel’s little errand boy rarely fucked up his tasks.

“You said to book you and Miss Lewis a luxury cabin…”

“Yes,” Loki nodded, not sure what the problem was.

“But if you want the cabin, on that level of the ship, you’ll have to go as Mr. and Mrs. They wouldn’t sell me a ticket without putting down both your names.”

“I see,” Loki said nodding again. “And what’s the problem. Why not just say so?”

“I didn’t want to presume.”

Loki nodded again. The lad was just trying to be conscientious and not get in trouble. He hadn’t been told to book them in as a married couple. Loki stubbed out his cigarette. “Go back and book the ticket under Mr. and Mrs. Friggason,” he said. The lad nodded quickly and turned around silently. 

Herschel gave Loki a surprised look as the young man headed back out of the pub. “Friggason?” he asked.

“Yes,” Loki sighed. “I’ll have to change my name. And...well my mother...”

Herschel waved his hand. He knew how Loki felt about his mother. There was no need to explain. “And what about Darcy,” he said, taking a pull from his pint, “will you tell her the two of you are masquerading as the well-to-do Swedish newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. Friggason?”

  
Loki smiled as he pulled out another cigarette and tapped it on the case. This particular development gave him pause to think. What exactly would be the point of it being a masquerade?


End file.
